Located 8 miles south of Boston, the Forbes House Museum is an 1833 Greek Revival house, built by Captain Robert Bennet Forbes and his siblings as a gift to their mother. The Forbes family was one of a number of prominent Boston merchants who launched the expansion of U.S. trade with China.  The Museum has an extensive collection of Chinese export items, including porcelains, bronzes, rosewood furniture, textiles, silver, and paintings.  Captain Forbes’s granddaughter, Mary Bowditch Forbes, gathered a large collection of Civil War artifacts, including Abraham Lincoln autographs and photographs, books and documents about Abolition, and a replica of Lincoln’s log cabin, which sits on the Museum’s grounds. 

Position Description:

Working closely with the Board of Trustees, the Director will:

• Develop a vision and facilitate a strategic plan.
• Develop a comprehensive fund-raising program, including membership, annual fund, foundation and grant funding, special events, and cultivation of donor relationships.
• Expand the volunteer program with recruiting, training, incentives, and recognition.
• Upgrade marketing strategies to increase visibility and visitation.
• Manage and care for the collections and oversee maintenance of buildings and grounds.
• Ensure the safety and security of the site and collections.
• Oversee educational programs for school groups and adults.
• Create and manage the annual budget.
• Maintain official records and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Oversee 1 or 2 part-time staff.
• Perform all duties necessary for smooth and successful operations.

Required/Desired Qualifications: 

The successful candidate will:

• Be a leader who inspires diverse constituents and generates enthusiasm for the Museum.
• Have experience running an organization, department, or complex projects, including managing a budget and raising funds.
• Have strong interpersonal skills.
• Have marketing and communication skills.
• Be proficient in computer programs for office, communications, and research.·   
• Be willing to pitch in and do what is needed.
• Have museum experience (4 years minimum).
• Have a B.A. (M.A. preferred) in a related field, such as American History, Historic Preservation, or Decorative Arts, and the ability and interest to research and accurately interpret the House and collections. 

Nominations welcome.  EOE.  Apply in confidence: Email resume, cover letter, list of 3 references with contact information, and salary requirement to the Forbes House Museum, Search Committee at meltm@comcast.net by 4/30/2010.  No longer accepting applications.

 

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Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

224 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903

ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF DECORATIVE ARTS

Opportunity for a mid-career curator to initiate projects and install and curate one of America's great Decorative Arts collections. The collection encompasses 20,000 European and American objects (including furniture, silver, metalwork, ceramics, glass, and wallpaper) from the Medieval period to the present. This position reports to the Director.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop exhibitions and publications
• Care for and install the collection
• Teach from and make the collection accessible to RISD students and faculty, the broader academic community, and general public
• Acquire objects through purchases and gifts, with priority in 20th-century Design
• Support fundraising and public relations efforts

    Required

• M.A. in Art History or related field
• 5+ years of curatorial experience in Decorative Arts, preferably at an art or college museum
• A record of independent conceptualization, development, and organization of exhibitions and catalogues
• Broad background in American and European Decorative Arts
• Demonstrated interest in history of Design and Architecture
• Experience with conservation and collection care; scholarly research and writing; public speaking. Connoisseurship skills
• Strong collaborative and organizational skills to work with peers and faculty
• Experience teaching from museum objects at college level
• Flexibility and energy

    About the Museum of Art, RISD

The 125-year-old Museum of Art, RISD, is the college museum for RISD and the major art museum and cultural attraction for Providence, the state, and the region. Permanent collection of over 84,000 objects, from ancient to contemporary; dynamic exhibition program; and staff of 60. Visit: www.risdmuseum.org.

Nominations welcome. EOE. Apply in confidence: Email resume, cover letter, list of 3 references with contact info, and salary requirement to search firm: Marilyn Hoffman, Museum Search & Reference at SearchandRef@museum-search.com by 5/3/2010.  No longer accepting applications. 

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COMPLETED SEARCHES

Richard Aroneau, president of the board of trustees of the Farnsworth, announced the appointment on Wednesday, November 4, 2009.

"Chris Brownawell is a nationally recognized art museum director," Aroneau said in a press release.  "The board and I look forward to working with Chris to help the Farnsworth realize its extraordinary potential.  Under his leadership, the Academy Art Museum, which serves a community with many parallels to Rockland, significantly grew its collections, education programs, audiences, facilities and endowment. Chris directed two successful capital expansion programs adding 28,000 square feet of program space and raised over $25 million in support for the museum over his tenure."

Brownawell received a bachelor's degree in art with emphasis in art history from Wilkes College in Pennsylvania and a master's degree in museum education from George Washington University in Washinton, DC. Before joining the Academy Art Museum as curator in 1988, he held positions with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the Commonwealth Conservation Center during undergraduate and graduate internships.

"I am honored to have been asked to lead the Farnsworth," Brownawell said.  "I am excited to work with the board, staff and volunteers to continue presenting the highest quality programming to our broad and growing audiences. The Farnsworth's outstanding collection, innovative exhibitions, and leading-edge education programs are testimonies to the achievements of the staff and the generosity of the community. The opportunity to help such a wonderful institution build an even brighter future while living in a place of breathtaking natural beauty and exceptional cultural leadership was irresistible."

Brownawell is moving to the Midcoast with his wife, Carol, and their three children.  "As a child, some of my fondest moments were visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art," Brownawell said.  "And I want both children and adults to have similar memories from their time in the Farnsworth's galleries and education programs." 

Brownawell succeeds Michael Komanecky, who has served as the Museum's Interim Director since January 2009 when Lora Urbanelli, then the Farnsworth's director, became director of the Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey.  Michael will return to his position of Chief Curator on February 1.

The Farnsworth Museum is a nationally recognized collection of over 10,000 objects begun by Lucy Farnsworth in 1940s, including works by Stuart, Cole, Sully, Eakins, Lane, Benson, Hassam, Homer, Bellows, Hopper, Marin, Prendergast, Nevelson, Indiana, Katz, Noland, Welliver, Clemente, Salle, Bartlett, Jacquette, and 3 generations of Wyeths.  In recent decades, buildings and programs have grown rapidly.  Facilities include 4 new galleries to showcase contemporary art; the historic Farnsworth Homestead; and Olson House, setting for Wyeth’s Christina’s World.  Farnsworth plays crucial role in economy of Midcoast Maine and in regional and national art. 
Visit http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/.