Art Institute of Chicago – Executive Director of Museum Education
m/Oppenheim Associates is assisting the Art Institute of Chicago in the
search for an innovative arts educator to deliver continually refreshed,
exciting educational experiences to people of all ages, backgrounds and
interests. As part of that process, we are reaching out to the community
for suggestions and nominations.
The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) is a world-renowned, encyclopedic art
museum housing one of the world’s most important permanent collections,
including many iconic works of leading artists, and mounting approximately
30 exhibitions a year. In collaboration with curators, the museum’s
education professionals deliver an enriched experience of AIC’s collections
and exhibitions to a diverse range of patrons and visitors. With the third
largest collection of art in the United States, the Art Institute’s
encyclopedic collection consists of approximately 300,000 works of art in 11
curatorial departments. The AIC welcomes approximately 1,400,000 to
1,800,000 visitors annually and has a membership of over 91,000.
With the appointment of Douglas Druick as the AIC’s new President and
Director, the Executive Director of Museum Education will join the Art
Institute at an exciting time. An accomplished curator, Druick has a strong
belief in the value of education that uses objects to connect visitors to
art and cultural history. The President views the Education function as
critical to the success of the museum; indeed, he has delayed the launch of
AIC’s new long-term planning project until the new Executive Director of
Museum Education is hired so that the Education Department is fully
represented as that plan is shaped and subsequently implemented. The
Executive Director of Museum Education will be a critical member of the
President’s Senior Management Team, and will have a strong voice as AIC
engages Chicago’s diverse citizens and visitors through its permanent
collections, special exhibitions, and education and public programming.
The Education Department is expected to evolve over the years to enrich the
gallery experience and address the needs of AIC and Chicago. Of particular
importance is to build on the existing partnership with Chicago Public
Schools, and educate a new generation of visitors and patrons who will form
the backbone of a vibrant city’s creativity and workforce. The President
and Director seeks to elevate the visitor experience as a central part of
AIC’s future. In collaboration with other departments, the Education
Department will play a major role in the design and implementation of new
approaches that attract new audiences, address the needs of current
visitors, and that incite return visits. An enhanced partnership between
the curatorial departments and Museum Education will be critical to the
success of such initiatives and it is the President’s hope that programs
flowing from such cooperation can become a model for museum-based education
in the field.
The museum and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago have a combined
endowment of almost $800 million, and the museum has an annual operating
budget of approximately $100 million, of which about $2.5 million is
allocated to education. The museum employs 22 full-time staff in the
Education Department. There are presently over 150 trained docents that
have been qualified through a four-year educational program recognized as
one of the most rigorous in the field.
A complete position description and additional information can be found at
www.moppenheim.com<http://www.moppenheim.com/> and
www.artic.edu<http://www.artic.edu>.
