As the art school kids already know, The Metropolitan Museum of Art have named their next director. Back in January, current director Philippe de Montebello announced that 2008 would be his last year in the position and the museum has been searching for a new director ever since. The job, one of the art world’s most prestigious, is obviously an honor, but is also doubtlessly pretty damn hard.

Apparently up for the challenge, Thomas Campbell was named on Tuesday as the Met’s ninth director in 138 years. Unlike vice presidential slots, they apparently don’t just hand this job out. But not unlike Mrs. Palin, some may consider Campbell short on experience—currently, he works as a curator at the Met in European tapestries, a rather small niche. His first day on the job, though, is not until January 1st, 2009, giving him some time to learn.

But what will this mean for the next time you go to the Met to see the collection, the Damian Hirst shark, or to sit on the Gossip Girl-approved steps in between class?

1) Let’s be honest… Who really knows this early on.

2) Perhaps more shows in the same vein as European tapestries. (Think monumental archaic Greek sculpture.)

3) Most likely no serious construction.

It seems that this guy is pretty young (at least for Met standards) and that at first he will only try to keep the museum running at the same nearly-perfect pace that Montebello set after 32 years of rule. Still, here’s to hoping that he’ll also give more attention to Contemporary art, a section that the Met typically looks over.  Fingers are also crossed that he won’t pull a Guggenheim (which also has a new director).

Either way, only time will tell.  Field trip in ’09 anyone?