Mithila Museum
Leadership
Team
The Leadership Team of the Mithila Museum Initiative is being assembled to guide the museum's vision, development, public identity, and long-term institutional direction.
More Than Administration
Concept-Building, Relationship-Building,
and Cultural Foundation
At this stage, leadership is focused on more than administration. The work includes concept-building, relationship-building, curatorial framing, early partnership development, and establishing the intellectual and cultural foundation for a future museum dedicated to Mithila painting.
The team is working across strategy, community engagement, public programming, and organizational planning to ensure that the initiative develops with seriousness, clarity, and purpose.
Dr. Anika Jha
Founder & Executive Director
Dr. Anika Jha leads the overall vision, strategic development, and public direction of the Mithila Museum Initiative. She is guiding the initiative's institutional concept, long-term mission, and external engagement with supporters, collaborators, and cultural stakeholders. Her work is focused on establishing Mithila painting as the center of a future museum platform that is artist-aware, intellectually grounded, and publicly meaningful.
Current work includes
- Leading the initiative's overall strategy and institutional planning
- Shaping public positioning and foundational messaging
- Advancing conversations with advisors, supporters, and partner organizations
- Guiding the long-term vision for collections, exhibitions, and public impact
Amit P Shah
Director of Curatorial Strategy
Amit P Shah leads curatorial planning for the initiative, helping define how Mithila painting will be interpreted, presented, and placed into meaningful dialogue with wider histories of visual culture. He is currently supporting the development of exhibition concepts, interpretive language, and early collections thinking.
Current work includes
- Developing a curatorial framework for the future museum
- Shaping concepts for foundational and thematic exhibitions
- Helping define the museum's painting-centered interpretive approach
- Advising on collections direction and artistic narrative structure
Mahendra Sah Rauniyar
Director of Artist & Community Engagement
Mahendra Sah Rauniyar leads the initiative's work with artists, community members, educators, and cultural stakeholders. He is helping shape how the museum will build trust, relevance, and public participation from its earliest stages through listening, outreach, and program development.
Current work includes
- Building relationships with artists and cultural practitioners
- Shaping early public program ideas and community-based engagement
- Supporting outreach to diaspora communities and educational networks
- Helping define workshop and public learning models for the initiative
Daniel Kim
Director of Partnerships & Institutional Development
Daniel Kim leads partnership-building, development strategy, and long-range institutional planning. He is currently focused on identifying aligned organizations, cultural partners, and potential supporters who can strengthen the museum's ecosystem and long-term sustainability.
Current work includes
- Leading partnership outreach with cultural and educational institutions
- Supporting organizational planning and external development strategy
- Building relationships with prospective collaborators and mission-aligned partners
- Helping create a strong foundation for future growth and support
Priya N. Shah
Director of Innovation & Learning
Priya Shah leads the initiative's future-facing work in education, digital engagement, and interdisciplinary learning. Her role helps ensure that Mithila painting can be meaningfully connected to younger audiences and contemporary cultural practice without losing its depth or specificity.
Current work includes
- Shaping ideas for educational and youth-facing programs
- Developing approaches to digital interpretation and cultural storytelling
- Helping define the role of innovation within the future museum
- Exploring how painting traditions can connect to contemporary learning models
In Formation
Advisory Circle
The initiative is in the early process of forming an Advisory Circle that will bring together artists, curators, scholars, educators, and cultural advocates. This group will help strengthen the museum's intellectual foundation, broaden its perspective, and support its development with cultural depth and long-term integrity.
Initial advisory priorities include