American Banjo Museum Names Lucas Ross Director

Lucas Ross, a Minco native and seven-time Heartland Emmy winner, takes over as executive director after Johnny Baier's 22-year tenure.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People

Flat-color poster-style illustration of a centered five-string banjo silhouette in mustard, teal, and rust against a cream background. — Oklahoma City's American Banjo Museum named Lucas Ross executive director effective November 1, succeeding Johnny Baier after 22 years, and extended its POP! Goes the Banjo! exhibition through May 15, 2027. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The American Banjo Museum named Lucas Ross its executive director, effective November 1, 2026, succeeding Johnny Baier, who retired after 22 years leading the institution. The museum's board also extended the POP! Goes the Banjo! exhibition through May 15, 2027.

Why it matters

The leadership change marks a transition for the Oklahoma City museum, with Ross bringing a background in local television and music to the role. The exhibition extension gives visitors additional time to see the current display.

Johnny Baier led the museum for 22 years before retiring. The POP! Goes the Banjo! exhibition, originally set to close October 31, 2026, now runs through May 15, 2027, though the museum has not detailed further exhibit plans.

The players

Lucas Ross

A Minco native and seven-time Heartland Emmy Award winner who previously worked at KFOR-TV and has collaborated with Disney's The Muppets Studio.

Johnny Baier

Former American Banjo Museum executive director who retired after 22 years of leadership and plans to return to performing as a musician and entertainer.

American Banjo Museum

The Bricktown institution in Oklahoma City dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the banjo.

The details

Ross joined the museum in 2018 as outreach coordinator and has collaborated with Disney's The Muppets Studio since 2020, when he was named Banjo Adviser to Kermit the Frog in 2023. He has appeared on The Tonight Show and holds a national Emmy for his work at KFOR-TV.

2018: Lucas Ross joins the American Banjo Museum as outreach coordinator.
2020: Ross begins collaborating with Disney's The Muppets Studio.
2023: Ross is named Banjo Adviser to Kermit the Frog.
November 1, 2026: Ross begins as executive director.
May 15, 2027: The POP! Goes the Banjo! exhibition closes.

Leadership Transition

The handover follows Johnny Baier's 22 years at the American Banjo Museum, with the board turning to Lucas Ross, who has worked with the museum since 2018.

Visitors to the museum can view the POP! Goes the Banjo! exhibition for about six additional months, through May 15, 2027. The leadership change is effective November 1, 2026, and the museum's programming under Ross has not yet been detailed.

The takeaway

Institutions that have been led by one person for decades often rely on that leader's personal network, so a transition like this tests how well the museum's programs and community ties carry forward. Ross's hands-on history with the museum and his media background may signal the direction the institution takes next.