Director [Tampa Museum of Art]

About the Tampa Museum of Art

The Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) is a highly regarded and vibrant leader of the Tampa Bay cultural community encompassing Tampa, St. Petersburg and beyond. Now in its 35^th year, TMA has been designated as a Major Cultural Institution by the State of Florida and is one of the area’s most prominent art institutions. The Museum is known for its award-winning building, its outstanding program of exhibitions grounded in its strong focus on classical, modern and contemporary art, its accessibility to diverse audiences, and its fiscal health. Following a successful chapter of building and rebranding, the Tampa Museum of Art is well poised for its next achievements under the inspired leadership of a new Director.

History

Prior to 1979, the Tampa Bay Art Center (founded in 1923) and the Tampa Junior Museum (founded in 1958) served the Tampa community’s cultural needs. In 1964, the City of Tampa requested that the Arts Council of Tampa/Hillsborough County, in consultation with community arts organizations, develop a plan for a City art museum to be built with funding from a bond issue. The following year, the plan was approved and began to materialize under a newly created private/public partnership with the City of Tampa known as the Tampa Museum Federation. The Federation was the genesis of what is now the Tampa Museum of Art.

In 1979, the new art museum opened in downtown Tampa on a riverfront site behind the convention center. After modest additions in 1990 and 1994, the Board (in collaboration with the City), made the bold decision to create an entirely new building. In December 2007, the Museum relocated to interim quarters in Tampa and construction began in April 2008. The spectacular new Tampa Museum of Art opened in February 2010.

Today, the TMA is part of a successful public/private partnership with the City of Tampa. The city owns the building and leases it to the TMA under a 99-year lease. The facility and responsibilities regarding the Museum are governed by a 501(c)(3) controlled by the Museum’s Board of Trustees. The same nonprofit entity oversees the Museum’s collection, which is owned by the TMA.

Collections

The Museum’s more than 7,500 object collection is focused in three key areas: Greek and Roman Art; 19^th century to contemporary photography; and modern and contemporary works on paper. The first artwork purchased by the Tampa Museum of Art was an ancient Greek vase – an Attic black-figure column krater bought in 1981 – and antiquities have remained an important area of collecting for the Museum ever since. The Museum’s most notable acquisition of classical art came five years later, in the form of the Joseph Veach Noble Collection, a significant private collection of over 150 objects.

In addition, the Museum has a long-standing tradition of collecting in the areas of modern and contemporary art, with a specific focus on photography since the 1980s. Earlier works by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand and Berenice Abbott complement important contemporary photographic works by Cindy Sherman, Chuck Close, Sandy Skoglund, Jerry Uelsmann and John Baldessari. The Museum also owns paintings by such modern and contemporary masters as Rockwell Kent, Alma Thomas, Ralph Goings, Sylvia Mangold, Willie Cole and Purvis Young.

Furthermore, the collection features sculpture by such well-known American and European artists as Hiram Powers, Frederick William MacMonnies, Jacques Lipchitz, Georg Kolbe and Harry Bertoia. This select group of sculptures was augmented in 1983 by the donation of approximately 2,800 objects from the C. Paul Jennewein Study Collection, a highly regarded American architectural sculptor from the mid-twentieth century.

Exhibitions

In keeping with its mission “to present the finest visual arts for a curious public”, The Tampa Museum of Art provides a dynamic and diverse annual schedule of special exhibitions for which it is recognized both regionally and nationally. These exhibitions have become a hallmark of the Museum and will continue to be a priority in the future.

Highlights of the 2014-15 exhibition calendar demonstrate the quality and variety for which the TMA has become known:

Poseidon and the Sea: Myth, Cult, and Daily Life (Current): The first extensive U.S. museum exhibition on Poseidon and the sea, this show explores the myths and iconography of this multi-faceted Greek god. Inspired by a marble statue of the god from the TMA’s collection, the exhibit features over 125 works from public and private collections in the United States and Europe. The show was organized and curated by the TMA and will travel to several other venues.

Renoir to Chagall: Paris and the Allure of Color (Current): Showcases forty-nine masterpieces from the respected collection of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee. The exhibit explores how Paris emerged as the center of the art world in the nineteenth century and includes the artists Claude Monet, August Renoir, Edgar Degas and Paul Cezanne, to name just a few.

American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell (March 2015): Beginning in March 2015, American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell will trace the history of a great American illustrator’s art and his contribution to historical commentary and visual storytelling, This exhibition offers insights into Rockwell’s rich production and is drawn exclusively from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

My Generation: Young Chinese Artists (June 7 – September 28, 2014): The first U.S. exhibition on the post-Mao generation of Chinese artists presents the impact China’s mega-development has had on its youth, culture and art trends.

Graphicstudio: Uncommon Practice at USF (February 1 – May 18, 2014): Was co-organized by the Tampa Museum of Art and the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum. Graphicstudio: Uncommon Practice at USF was the most ambitious and comprehensive show to feature works from Graphicstudio since the survey exhibition of the studio’s early years at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. in 1991.

Iconic Building

Renowned architect Stanley Saitowitz, a principal of Natoma Architects in San Francisco, designed the Tampa Museum of Art’s spectacular 66,000-square-foot Cornelia Corbett Center building. Opened in 2010, the building features a shimmering aluminum exterior and state of the art gallery spaces with innovative translucent ceilings and polished concrete floors. This sleek contemporary edifice has won numerous design awards, including the prestigious 2011 Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Jury award.

The exterior of the Museum features Sky (Tampa) by the famous light artist Leo Villareal. The installation, part of the Museum’s permanent collection, includes programmable LED lights, 45 feet high and 300 feet long, embedded within two-layers of perforated aluminum panels. In daylight, the Museum’s façade morphs into a moiré-like pattern while in darkness, the LED light installation glows with Villareal’s signature light-coded and hypnotic dance. Sky (Tampa) is on view every evening beginning at dusk and has become a recognizable image of the Museum and the city.

Since opening the new building, the Museum has partnered with Mise en Place, a prominent Tampa restaurant, to provide top-tier dining and catering to its guests. TMA’s onsite waterfront restaurant, The Sono Café, has emerged as one of the best café experiences in town, while the TMA building itself is highly sought as a rental space. In 2014 alone, the Museum has hosted more than 100 events.

The Museum’s location, adjacent to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park at the midpoint of the Riverwalk, gives it a pivotal strategic advantage. The current Mayor of Tampa, Bob Buckhorn, is well known for his efforts to grow and develop the urban area. “I want the Hillsborough River to be at the center of our downtown…that means we need to continue to develop our waterfront and build on the Riverwalk.” This gives the Museum an opportunity to cement its place as the nucleus of the new city center and the undisputed hub of the cultural community.

Finances

TMA, which has an annual operating budget of approximately $3 million and a staff of 14, is in solid financial standing, with an endowment in excess of $4 million. Through the public/private partnership, the city continues to own the real estate (that TMA occupies) and provides annual support to the Museum in the amount of $700,000-800,000. This arrangement is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. While fundraising has been strong in the last 4 years, the TMA Board believes that there exist untapped financial resources in the Tampa Bay area.

The Museum hosts 3 highly successful annual events that have become cornerstones of the Tampa social calendar. The proceeds from all three go to support the Museum’s exhibition and education programs.

Pavilion: Now in its 29th year, Pavilion heralds the start to Tampa’s social season and is the city’s premiere black tie gala. The event features fine dining, music, dancing and a live auction.

CITY: Fashion+Art+Culture: A fusion of food and fashion that includes a glamorous runway show. Now in its fourth year, CITY is a sold out event that easily surpasses its fundraising goals.

Pride & Passion: The official kick-off to Gay Pride month celebrations across Tampa Bay. This year, over 700 friends gathered at the Museum for a dazzling night of art, entertainment, food and drinks.

Programs

The Tampa Museum of Art, through its Board and staff, is deeply committed to its educational mission. With the recent hire of a Museum Educator, who came to TMA from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Museum has made a renewed effort to extend and deepen its educational programming.  The vision and creativity of a new Director will further invigorate this program.

The Museum’s ‘Give Back’ initiative includes its many programs at a reduced price or free of charge to the community such as Art on the House (pay-as-you-will admission on Friday evenings), Art Spot (free drop-in family art activities every Saturday at the Museum and offsite at the Amalie Arena), free tours for all Hillsborough County public schools and free admission at the annual Military Appreciation Day. The Museum also offers a reduced admission price for college and non Hillsborough County students.

In addition, the Museum offers many programs for adults. TMA has partnered with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of South Florida (OLLI-USF) to offer tours and lectures to adults at reduced fees. The Museum offers free meditation courses, serves as a venue for the Gasparilla International Film Festival and participates in the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.

Tampa

Located on the west coast of Florida, Tampa Bay attracts millions of tourists each year who enjoy the subtropical climate, with sun 246 days a year. The city of Tampa itself has a population estimated at 350,000 in 2014, making it the 53^rd largest city in the United States. The larger Tampa metropolitan area, referred to as the Tampa Bay Area, has an estimated 2.8 million people and is considered the fourth largest metro area in the Southeastern U.S. The Greater Tampa Bay area, including neighboring St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota, has more than 4.3 million people and is projected to have 4.5+ million by 2017.

The TMA is located in the central cultural arts district with neighbors such as the David A. Straz Center for the Preforming Arts, the largest performing arts center in the southeast, and the Glazer Children’s Museum. Additional local attractions include Opera Tampa, the Florida Orchestra, and USF’s Graphicstudio. Tampa is also home to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, the USF Contemporary Art Museum, the Tampa Bay History Center and the Florida Aquarium.

Tampa is also known as a desirable location for conferences, with over 450,000 attendees annually. In 2012, Tampa hosted the Republican National Convention, and the “Bollywood Oscars” were celebrated in May 2014. Additionally, there is much excitement regarding future developments, including Mayor Buckhorn’s “InVision Tampa” revitalization plans and proposed changes to the Channelside District and Riverwalk.

Hillsborough County has five fully accredited institutions of higher learning: the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, Tampa College, Florida College and Hillsborough Community College. The Hillsborough County Public Schools are the 7th largest school districts in the country and Tampa is also home to more than 120 private and parochial schools.

Tampa Bay boasts three professional sports teams: the 2002 Super Bowl Champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2004 Stanley Cup winners Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Rays baseball franchise, who play across the bay in St. Petersburg. Tampa also plays host to the New York Yankees during their annual spring training and is the home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, a Tier II soccer club.

For more information on the Tampa Museum of Art, please visit: www.tampamuseum.org.

For additional information on Tampa, please visit: www.tampasdowntown.com and www.tampabay.org.

Role

The Director of the Museum reports to the Board of Trustees; works closely and communicates frequently with the Chair of the Board and the members of the Executive Committee; and interacts with other standing and ad hoc Board Committees on a regular basis.

Reporting directly to the Director are the Chief Curator and Richard E. Perry Curator of Greek & Roman Art (who is currently serving as the Interim Director), as well as the Director of Finance, the Associate Director of Development and the Museum’s Marketing and Public Relations Specialist.

The Director serves as the TMA’s chief executive, and, guided by the Museum’s mission and values, has the central responsibility for providing leadership and direction. The Director, in conjunction with the Board, will articulate the goals of the Museum and will work with the Board and staff in achieving them. The Director’s primary responsibilities include artistic vision, direction setting, implementation, communications, audience development, fundraising, operations and administration.

Responsibilities

Artistic Vision, Direction Setting and Implementation

• Work with the Board and staff to refine and articulate the Museum’s strategic direction for the future.
• Along with the Board, formulate an ambitious but achievable plan for its execution.
• Maintain and enhance the values, vision and mission of the Museum.
• Develop and expand programming and exhibition efforts to enhance the Museum’s profile as an integral part of the Tampa Bay community and art community at large.

Communications and Audience Development

• Raise the Museum’s visibility through planning and implementing public relations, marketing and communications initiatives.
• Work closely with the Marketing and Public Relations Specialist to develop strategies to strengthen the Museum’s identity and brand regionally, nationally and internationally.
• Promote the Museum and its programs to build loyal commitment and develop key partnerships in support of its mission.
• Foster involvement and participation of the whole community in the Museum and broaden the reach of the Museum into the different sectors of the community.
• Establish her/himself as an arts and cultural leader in the region and build and maintain partnerships and collaborations with Tampa’s cultural and civic institutions as well as the City of Tampa.

Development

• Play a leadership role in fundraising and enthusiastically approach resource-building with creativity, including identifying and developing alternative revenue streams.
• Work to increase and diversify financial support from individual donors, foundations, corporations and government funders.
• Seek out and cultivate collectors in the Museum’s collections areas and in other areas that make key strategic sense.

Operations and Administration

• Oversee the Museum in a fiscally responsible manner through effective planning, budgeting and forecasting.
• Work closely with the Director of Finance to prepare annual budgets for Finance Committee and Board approval to ensure appropriate financial controls are in place.
• Attract and retain talented staff while building a positive and collaborative organizational culture.
• Oversee staff performance and conduct annual performance reviews.
• Keep the Board fully informed on all initiatives and serve as the intermediary between the Board and staff.

Candidate profile

The next Director of the Tampa Museum of Art will be an inspiring, energetic, people-oriented leader. S/he will embrace Tampa, appreciate its history and charms and participate in its imminent resurgence. The new Director will lead the institution to new heights in terms of audiences, partnerships, programming, revenue generation and community impact. The successful candidate will have an engaging, entrepreneurial spirit and be able to guide and substantially contribute to the continued articulation of the identity, values, mission and strategy for the Museum, particularly through programming and partnership efforts.

The Director will have an appropriate level of education for this position, preferably an advanced degree in art history, museum studies or a related field.  At least 10 years of experience in a museum or comparable institution, with a role in a senior leadership position, is required.

The ideal candidate would have the following personal competencies:

A Relationship Builder & Ambassador

• A vision and passion for the future of the TMA.
• An energetic, approachable, personable ambassador for the Museum.
• An articulate, dynamic and diplomatic communicator who enjoys building relationships and connections.
• Strong creative, collaborative and interpersonal skills and an ability to overcome obstacles.
• The ability to build support across a wide range of stakeholders including staff, Board, volunteers, donors, corporations and the public.
• The ability to develop a powerful sense of shared purpose in others and to motivate them to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead.

An Orientation toward Community

• Enjoys the external side of a museum Director’s role.
• Has a commitment to reaching out to a diverse community.
• Enthusiastically embraces the Greater Tampa Bay community professionally and personally and genuinely enjoys the opportunity to live in the city and region.
• Provides leadership both inside and outside the Museum itself.

An Orientation towards Programming & Exhibitions

• Effectively plans and mounts a compelling and diverse exhibition schedule.
• Well connected and conversant in national and international arts circles.
• Experience working with fine art, exhibition planning, funding and implementation as well as experience with collections management, conservation and preservation.
• Knowledge of and relationships with other cultural institutions around the country.
• A network of contacts.
• Respected among peers.

Fundraising & Development

• Proven fundraiser who energetically embraces this aspect of a Museum Director’s role.
• Able to cultivate relationships with a variety of donors, including major individual donors and corporations.
• Creative and entrepreneurial approach to leveraging the assets of the Museum to strengthen alternate revenue streams, enabling the Director to access previously untapped support in the Tampa Bay region.

Business Acumen and Management Skills

• A strong track record of success in Board relations and a willingness to actively engage Board members.
• Results-oriented and practical business sense.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to prepare and deliver concise, understandable and effective reports and presentations.
• Seasoned experience with the media.
• Strategic planning and execution skills.
• Ability to develop a productive internal culture by emphasizing collaboration, collegiality and teamwork.
• Ability to partner and lead the senior management team while holding each accountable to mutually agreed-upon goals.
• Demonstrate experience attracting, retaining and motivating top talent.
• Maturity, a sense of humor and an outgoing, inclusive personality.

Contact

Koya Leadership Partners has been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role, please submit your resume to Alison P. Ranney and Alexandra N. Corvin at koyachicago@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.