fascinating. wonder if the fellow will allow local artists more power
in the museum. one can hope.
On May 27, 2009, at 12:23 PM, Steven Vroom wrote:
Derrick R. Cartwright Named Next Director of the
Seattle Art Museum
SEATTLE, MAY 27, 2009 – Today the Seattle Art Museum’s (SAM) Board
of Trustees announced that Derrick R. Cartwright has been chosen as
the Seattle Art Museum’s new Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director
following an international search. Mr. Cartwright succeeds Mimi
Gates who is retiring on June 30, 2009 after 15 years as the
museum’s director. Cartwright has been the Executive Director at the
San Diego Museum of Art since 2004 and will begin his position at
SAM in the fall of 2009.
“We had an incredible pool of candidates but Derrick was clearly the
right leader to leverage and build upon the remarkable foundation
SAM has built under Mimi Gates’ leadership,” said Charlie Wright,
chair of the search committee and SAM Trustee. “He has the perfect
combination of an accomplished track record and a bold vision for
the future. I have no doubt that he will prove to be a great leader
of SAM’s stellar team.”
Over the past five years, Cartwright’s leadership has bolstered San
Diego Museum of Art’s international reputation as a nexus for deep
scholarship, thoughtful exhibitions and a dynamic permanent
collection, while developing close ties to the community it serves
through public outreach and engagement. Under his direction, the
museum has increased its traveling exhibition and permanent
collection loan programs, established a strong publications program
and added more than 1,000 new acquisitions to the collection.
“Like so many others, I have admired the accomplishments of the
Seattle Art Museum in recent years,” said Cartwright. “Few
institutions, if any, can match the level of activity and growth –
in terms of facility, programs and quality of collections – that has
taken place during Mimi Gates’ tenure. There is still important work
to do and I believe the potential for still greater success at SAM
is tremendous. It is an honor to be asked to lead the institution at
this time and I look forward to the work ahead with a terrific Board
of Trustees, talented Staff, and an engaged community in Seattle.”
Prior to his position at the San Diego Museum of Art, Cartwright was
the director of the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College from
2001 to 2004 where he was instrumental in organizing several
noteworthy exhibitions, including the critically acclaimed Coming of
Age in Ancient Greece: Images of Childhood from the Classical Past,
which traveled to the J. Paul Getty Museum. From 1998 to 2000,
Cartwright directed the Musée d'Art Américain Giverny in France,
where he developed and curated a variety of exhibitions featuring
prominent American artists who studied or lived in France.
“Derrick understands the complexities of running an institution like
the Seattle Art Museum,” said Stan Savage, Chairman of SAM’s Board
of Trustees. “He is a thoughtful leader who is skilled at mobilizing
a team, organizing strong artistic programs and connecting with the
community.”
An active scholar with many essays, articles and exhibition
catalogues to his credit, Cartwright earned his Ph.D. in art history
at the University of Michigan (1994), where he specialized in North
American art and architecture as well as 19th-century French art and
the history of photography. He received an MA in 1988 from the
University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied modern art,
critical theory and the art of India, and a BA, with honors, in 1984
from the department of art history at the University of California,
Berkeley.
“I am thrilled with the selection of Derrick Cartwright,” said
Gates. “He is highly respected by his colleagues nationally and
internationally. In addition to being a great scholar and strong
leader, Derrick is committed to making great works of art accessible
to the community.”
Born and raised in San Francisco, Cartwright will be moving to
Seattle with his wife, Lauren, an attorney, and three children,
Sarah, Julia and Graham.
Maryann Jordan, SAM’s Senior Deputy Director, will serve as the
museum’s interim director during the time between Gates’ departure
and Cartwright’s arrival.
# # #
Steven
911 Seattle Media Arts Center
Art Radio Seattle
Vroom Journal
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