The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed one of its own curators, Thomas P. Campbell, as its new director and chief executive, to succeed departing director Philippe de Montebello.

After a vote by its board of directors Tuesday, the New York museum announced that Campbell, 46, curator in the museum's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, will begin his new position on Jan. 1, 2009.

A native of Cambridge in England, Campbell has worked at the Met since 1995.

After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature from Oxford University, he began art studies at Christie's auction house in London. He earned a master's degree in 1987 from London's Courtauld Institute and a doctorate there in 1999.

He organized the Met's Renaissance and baroque tapestry shows in 2002 and 2007, respectively, which were among the museum's most highly praised exhibitions in recent years.

In a statement issued by the museum, Campbell said his goal will be to "build on the Met's traditions of scholarship and openness, to ensure that our diverse audiences continue to be welcomed, challenged and inspired in ways that are fresh and relevant for the age in which we live."

In January, de Montebello announced that he would retire at the end of 2008, saying: "The time is right for both my own – and the museum's – inevitable transition."

He took the helm of the museum in 1977.

The Met was founded in 1870 and is the largest art museum in the United States. It houses a collection of more than two million objects spanning 5,000 years of art history. Its budget for fiscal 2005-06 was $280.3 million US.

With files from the Associated Press