The Cloisters Gets a New Guardian—and a Fresh Take on Medieval Mystique

On a sweltering Thursday morning, the quiet stone corridors of The Met Cloisters pulsed with an unusual sense of anticipation. The museum’s new collections manager, Andrew Winslow—known affectionately among colleagues as the ‘Bat Lord’ for his nocturnal energy and affinity for the museum’s resident bat population—has officially stepped into his role as caretaker of one of New York’s most evocative institutions.

Winslow’s arrival comes at a pivotal time. The Cloisters, perched high above the Hudson in Fort Tryon Park, is in the midst of reframing its narrative around medieval art, seeking to connect past and present for a city that’s always looking ahead. Under the midday sun, Winslow was seen leading a small team through the cool, echoing Fuentidueña Chapel, discussing how to update exhibit lighting without disturbing the ancient limestone or the secretive bats nesting overhead.

“Stewardship here is about more than safeguarding art,” Winslow said, pausing by a 15th-century tapestry depicting a midnight hunt. “It’s about honoring the living ecosystem of the building itself—and the people who find sanctuary here during summer’s hottest afternoons.”

Staff have already noticed Winslow’s meticulous approach. On Wednesday evening, he was spotted cataloging rare manuscripts in the lower library, sleeves rolled up, as a handful of visitors lingered in the twilight. His presence signals a subtle but significant shift: the museum isn’t just preserving relics, but fostering a space where New Yorkers—families escaping the heat, artists seeking inspiration, and the city’s night-owls—can find fresh meaning in centuries-old treasures.

As the city sweats through August, The Cloisters’ blend of medieval cool and contemporary care is more than a respite. With its new ‘Bat Lord’ at the helm, the museum is poised to become an even more vital part of uptown life, inviting visitors to lose—and find—themselves in its storied halls.