Director [The Morgan Library & Museum]

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of The Morgan Library & Museum is to preserve, build, study, present, and interpret a collection of extraordinary quality, in order to stimulate enjoyment, excite the imagination, advance learning, and nurture creativity.

THE INSTITUTION

HISTORY AND MISSION

The Morgan Library & Museum (‘The Morgan’) is a public research library and museum located on an historic site that preserves the original library of legendary financier Pierpont Morgan, whose manuscript, book, and art holdings form the basis of the institution.  A global institution focused on the European and American traditions, The Morgan houses one of the world’s foremost collections of manuscripts, rare books, music, drawings, and ancient and other works of art.  These holdings comprise a unique and dynamic record of civilization, as well as an incomparable repository of ideas and of the creative process.

The Morgan collection, which continues to grow, is renowned among scholars and comprises a total of some 500,000 works, including ancient Near Eastern seals and tablets; Egyptian, Greek, and Coptic papyri; medieval and Renaissance manuscripts; approximately 25,000 drawings and prints from the early Renaissance to the present day, including 500 etchings by Rembrandt; tens of thousands of rare books, with nearly 3,000 incunables and one of the world’s finest collections of children’s books; tens of thousands of literary and historical manuscripts; some 25,000 music manuscripts, printed scores, and related material; a growing collection of photographs from the invention of the medium to the present; and several vast archives.  Nine curatorial and programmatic departments organize some 20 special exhibitions and collection rotations annually.  The Education Department serves nearly 5,000 K-12 students in addition to its active concerts, lectures, films, tours, and family public programs.

The Morgan hosted more than 190,000 visitors in its 151,000 sq. ft. facility in FY 2014, which offers four galleries for special exhibitions, as well as installations of collection highlights on view in the Library’s East Room.

The Morgan also has the Drawing Institute to deepen the understanding and appreciation of the role of drawing in the history of art, exploring its centrality in the process of creative expression.  The Thaw Conservation Center opened in February 2002 as a world-class laboratory for the conservation of works on paper and parchment — drawings, prints, illuminated manuscripts, rare books, fine bindings, and literary, historical, and music manuscripts — as well as a place for conservation studies.

In addition to these object-based programs, The Morgan’s Gilder Lehrman Hall seats 264 for some of the approximately 50-60 programs presented annually.  There is a Morgan Shop, The Morgan Café, and Dining Room and catering services.

The Morgan has an operating budget of approximately $18 million and an endowment of approximately $200 million of which the unrestricted portion is approximately $52 million.  Contributed income and membership constitute roughly half of the budget, endowment income 35% of it and earned income the remaining 15%.  The Morgan has 117 full-time, 86 part-time employees, and 83 volunteers.

THE POSITION

The Director is the institution’s chief executive.  Working with the 42 member Board of Trustees, the Director of The Morgan sets the goals of the institution in a way that leaders of peer institutions with similar influence but larger operations might envy.  He or she is often active in its myriad activities and an integral member of the team and culture.  The position requires a commitment to the institution’s constituencies and its vibrancy and growth.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director must be:

• A visionary leader and tireless advocate for The Morgan, its needs and continued excellence;

• Able to engage and inspire board and staff; able to work with and manage professionals of diverse expertise and demonstrate a firm grasp of management and financial practices;

• Personable and aware of the essential need for fundraising and at ease in the role of seeking and asking for capital and operational contributions and collection gifts; interacts easily with collectors and dealers;

• Imaginative in introducing new audiences and forms of access that integrate the opportunities of the future, technological and otherwise, with the achievements of the past; adept at developing institutional partnerships to advance the mission;

• An articulate and persuasive communicator in both spoken and written expression;

• A consensus builder who can manage toward major goals and inspire broad and deep support to achieve them; uphold best practices while pursuing innovative opportunities;

• Committed to and enthusiastic about making the collections available to and valued by the general public, while equally dedicated to services for scholarship and research;

• Creative in developing exhibitions, programs, and services that engage visitors with the materials and ideas and are commensurate with The Morgan’s standards of excellence.

The Director will be a respected expert in and champion of the humanities who can command the respect of a strong curatorial team.  Advanced academic degrees are preferred in at least one of The Morgan’s collecting areas or a closely related field with a discerning knowledge of the other holdings.

Other qualities are not found on a resume yet are unmistakable.  They include wisdom, inclusive collegiality, deftness of touch and vitality.  The Director must possess a sensibility that arises from a profound understanding of the highest achievements in literature, the fine arts, music and other social and cultural expressions of the humanistic tradition.  He or she will exhibit an infectious enthusiasm for what those traditions mean to us all.

Please send applications or nominations to

Sarah James and Becky Klein at Morgan@PhillipsOppenheim.com.