The MIA hires curator of decorative arts, Sotheby's alum and sculpture expert Eike Schmidt

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts announced today that the museum has hired Eike Schmidt to take the helm as curator of the institution's decorative arts department. Schmidt is internationally known for his expertise in European sculpture: He was associate curator of sculpture and decorative arts for the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles for a number of years, and before that Schmidt worked at the National Gallery in Washington, and at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence, Italy. Most recently, he served as director of European sculpture and works of art for the famous Sotheby's auction house in London.