Director [Memphis Brooks Museum of Art]

Posted October 7

Transforming lives through the power of art.

Located in the heart of Memphis, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (www.brooksmuseum.org) is the largest encyclopedic collecting art museum in a three-state region of the American South.  Founded in 1916, the Brooks is a fully AAM-accredited AAMD-member art museum that cares for a permanent collection of over 9,000 objects, including a keystone Kress collection; 29 museum galleries across an 86,000-square-foot architectural landmark in Overton Park at the center of life in Memphis; the acclaimed Brushmark Restaurant; a museum store; the Hohenberg Auditorium and associated film program; and a professional staff and Board dedicated to bettering our city through education, scholarship, innovation and the transformative power of art.  The Brooks is deeply committed to diversity and strives in all aspects to serve its entire community.  The new Director will be just the 15^th in the museum’s 98-year history.

Strengths of the collection include Italian Renaissance and Baroque paintings; French and American paintings and sculpture; English and American decorative arts and portraits; art of the American South; contemporary art; African art; long-term loan collections of classical Greece, Rome and pre-Columbian Central America; and a significant collection of works on paper, including drawings, watercolors, prints and photographs.  The Brooks organizes exhibitions, inspired by areas of excellence in the permanent collection and frequently changes the museum’s permanent collection galleries.  In 2013 to 2014, the museum launched a nationally acclaimed exhibition of the Venezuelan-American artist, Marisol, and a collaborative retrospective of Carroll Cloar, two highlights of an active calendar of 12 to 14 exhibitions in a typical year.  Upcoming original projects include Tennessee-based artist, Red Grooms, and a new examination of William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

The Brooks serves as a hub for artistic exploration in Memphis, connecting people with art and inspiring creativity and curiosity through innovative and thought-provoking education and outreach programs.  Embracing a learner-centered approach to art, the museum is engaged in over 100 active partnerships with schools, social service agencies and other nonprofits.  The Brooks is highly regarded for its innovative education programs, including a new early childhood initiative developed with the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, art therapy work with outside agencies, Alzheimer’s programs, school tours, family events, a teen program, and more.  Museum staff has presented frequently on the Brooks’ education programs at national conferences.  In addition, major exhibitions in recent years have all incorporated interactive galleries developed between the educators and curators.

The Brooks is a 50l(c)3 nonprofit organization that is supported by public and private investment, as well as substantial annual fundraising and earned revenue generation.  The operating budget is approximately $4-4.5 million.  The city of Memphis contributes approximately 15 percent of the operating budget, which in turn supports the city-owned physical building and a portion of the collections.  The museum’s endowment is just under $5 million.  The Brooks has a dedicated and highly qualified staff of 49 and is committed to a diverse workforce and healthy workplace.  Museum visitation is approximately 80,000 annually.  The Board of Directors is composed of 24 to 36 elected members.

LOCATION

Memphis, Tennessee was recently designated as an “opportunity city” by Forbes magazine:  “…small enough that enterprising people can really make their mark.  But they’re still large enough to offer amenities – museums, parks, and in many cases vibrant downtowns – that make for a high quality of life.”

Memphis is the birthplace of numerous American entrepreneurship stories, including FedEx, AutoZone, Holiday Inn, Kress Five & Dime, among others.  Memphis is also the corporate headquarters for International Paper and ServiceMASTER.  Our city is today a premiere logistics center for the country; the history of the city is inextricably connected to the economic and physical power of the Mississippi River.  The city is populated by 1.2 million residents and supports professional basketball, minor league baseball and several colleges and universities.  Memphis holds an unequaled position in the history of American music, and tourists arrive from across the globe to visit our attractions.  Two art museums, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, along with the Memphis College of Art and the National Ornamental Metal Museum, anchor the region’s longstanding investment in the visual arts.  Other important cultural institutions include Ballet Memphis, Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Opera Memphis.  Today, Memphis is a vibrant arts destination, with a burgeoning community of working artists, emerging arts districts and an outstanding culinary scene.  Memphis also enjoys a relatively low cost of living and beautiful tree-lined neighborhoods and homes.

BASIC FUNCTION

The Director will provide the leadership and direction necessary to bring the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art to its fullest potential as an exciting encyclopedic museum, a cultural resource and a source of pride for the Greater Memphis community and beyond.  Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Director is responsible for the artistic vision, resource development, planning and fiscal oversight and the overall management of the Brooks.

The Director will take the lead in defining the scope and direction of the institution and its collection, ensuring the Brooks continues to provide compelling and innovative exhibitions and educational programming, public events and activities to attract the broadest possible audience.  The Director will proactively assume leadership and serve as primary spokesperson and chief fundraiser for the museum, articulating and embracing fundraising as an integral component of institutional success, wellbeing and stability.  Additionally, he/she will play a significant and active role in the cultivation of major donors, and develop key relationships with the Brooks’ individual, corporate, government and foundation supporters.

The Director will galvanize staff and build active participation and support from the community, including local artists and leaders of other Memphis-based cultural institutions.  He/she will network with business and community leaders, and city and state elected officials, keeping in mind that the entire community is an important audience.

PRIORITIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

It is expected that the Director will be an inspiring yet pragmatic leader, fundraiser and manager who can generate ideas, as well as empower and support others to implement them.  He/she will give priority to the following:

• Provide overall strong leadership and direction by setting and communicating the museum’s goals; know who the organization is serving, its key players, constituents and base of support, and most importantly, understand and capitalize on its potential;
• In a highly competitive fundraising environment, significantly build on the Brooks’ past success in engaging and involving donors through exceptional relationship-building and cultivation skills; broaden the donor base by working closely with the Board to solicit increased participation beyond the organization’s existing support base;
• Foster a strong working relationship with the Board and its leadership; understand their strengths and capabilities and bring forth its best ideas, efforts, resources and contacts; ensure that the Board is provided with timely and clear information;
• Establish connections with and proactively cultivate high-potential donors by engaging and building strong relationships; develop compelling ways to promote the Brooks’ activities to its member base and increase the appeal of the museum to new members;
• Take a lead in planning, marketing, and promoting special events and exhibitions associated with the museum’s 2016 centennial celebration, including “100 Gifts for 100 Years;” build on the momentum of the occasion in order to generate interest and successfully initiate an upcoming $40 million capital campaign for building structure renovation and endowment enhancement;
• Balance priorities and stakeholder views to ensure excellence in museum curatorial, exhibition planning, marketing and operational endeavors; lead the alignment of financial resources and operational priorities based on a review of a newly developed three-year strategic plan (which is open for revision by the new Director);
• Expand the reach and impact of the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs; ensure the integration and balance of exhibition and educational objectives; leverage the museum’s programmatic assets, collections and broad reach to create new and enduring partnerships within the community;
• Build awareness and support among diverse audiences – fostering relationships to increase the museum’s membership and donor base while maximizing its marketing impact; embrace and maintain the museum’s ongoing commitment to programming which values diversity and promotes inclusion;
• Hire, manage, motivate, and evaluate staff and maintain a collegial staff structure; encourage staff’s desire for professional development and rigorous standards; maintain a collegial environment and delegate appropriate responsibility; ensure administrative policies and procedures are timely and up to date.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have or be the following:

• A record of achievement in bringing about change in exciting and creative ways; demonstrated leadership and management skills, with the ability to set and maintain high standards among staff to create a cohesive, high-achieving, team-oriented environment;
• Proven track record as a dynamic and accomplished fundraiser; successful results in identifying, cultivating and soliciting major donors, foundation grants, government support and corporate sponsorships, and generating other sources of revenue; experience in the creation and execution of a successful capital campaign is desirable;
• Topline/revenue growth experience – this is NOT a cost-cutting position;
• History of success as a leader in a nationally and internationally recognized art museum;
• An understanding of and commitment to the Brooks’ encyclopedic collection; knowledge of the art world and its key players; an ability to translate this into meaningful collaborations and exhibitions for the institution that speak to the broad interests of a diverse audience;
• A commitment to educational outreach, networking and informative, thought-provoking programming that attracts and engages all citizens of the Greater Memphis area;
• Financial acumen commensurate with running a civic institution the size and stature of the Brooks, able to interpret and articulate financial statements and financial performance;
• Conversant in the use of technology and digital media in promoting an institution, reaching audiences, and creating innovative and engaging exhibitions and programs;
• Superior communications and presentation skills that are effective with a range of audiences, including volunteers, staff, business and community leaders, the media and the general public;
• A master’s degree in art history or an advanced degree in an appropriate discipline is preferred;
• Superior verbal and writing skills.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Director should be or have:

• A hands-on leader and consensus builder who will quickly gain the respect and credibility of all key constituencies;
• Charismatic and energetic; able to generate enthusiasm and inspire others; a strong and capable presence with a sense of urgency and a get-things-done attitude;
• An individual who practices good judgment and exudes ease, credibility and a delight in the work at hand; an outgoing people person who will warmly embrace the Memphis community; previous experience working in the South, with an ability to pick up on cultural cues is a plus;
• A team builder committed to the mission of the Brooks; willing to engage and be highly visible within the community; comfortable being the public face and advocate for the museum;
• Persuasive and resourceful; politically savvy and diplomatic; a problem solver with strong management ability; someone who can motivate and direct others; able to delegate and prioritize multiple activities and responsibilities with clarity and confidence;
• Mature, with good judgment and a sense of humor, in order to maintain perspective and balance.

Applications and nominations are requested to be submitted to the attention of

Mark Tarnacki at MemphisBrooks@PhillipsOppenheim.com