George D. and Margo Behrakis Chair, Art of Ancient Greece & Rome at the Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston
Job Title: George D. and Margo Behrakis Chair, Art of Ancient Greece & Rome
Job Status: Full-time
Location: Boston, MA
Salary: $150,000 – $170,000
Description
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Naree Viner and Tenley Bank of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials to our online talent portal, or email Tenley directly at tbank@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
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About the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
As one of the world’s renowned art museums, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) boasts a collection that spans nearly all cultures and time periods. The original MFA opened its doors to the public in July of 1876 with 5,600 works of art.
Today, the MFA is recognized for the quality and scope of its collection, exhibited in more than 140 galleries, which includes Art of the Americas; Art of Europe; Contemporary Art; Art of Asia; Art of Africa and Oceania; Art of the Ancient World; Prints and Drawings; Photography; Fashion, Textiles, and Jewelry; and Musical Instruments. Today, in addition to this collection that now encompasses nearly 500,000 works of art, the MFA is a lively social destination that offers concerts, films, and lectures while also serving as an important community and learning resource for schools, families, and visitors near and far. In recent years, the MFA has welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors each year, and in FY 2019 the museum saw more than 1.3 million visitors, a level of attendance not seen at the MFA since 1999.
The MFA’s mission is to collect and preserve its collections thoughtfully and share the works of art in the Museum with Boston and beyond while creating and providing engaging and memorable experiences. While the Museum is deeply rooted in the Boston community, it is an international institution with programming and research partnerships throughout the world. This is all possible through the efforts and dedication of the MFA’s talented staff, volunteers, donors, members, and community partners. The MFA culture is built on collaboration, generosity, trust, and service.
The MFA’s most recent strategic plan, MFA2020, has served as a catalyst for undertaking a broad range of projects through a strong spirit of collaboration. Initiatives are designed to deepen the MFA’s connection to its current audience while expanding and engaging with new and diverse communities to make it a more inclusive museum where everyone feels they belong. Many projects mark new opportunities for the Museum while others are expansions of successful programs. All are designed to actively cultivate conversation, engagement, connection, and understanding through art, both externally for visitors as well as internally for staff.
For more information on Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, please visit its website.
The Opportunity
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston seeks a dynamic and highly motivated individual to lead and expand its Department of the Art of Ancient Greece and Rome. The Art of Ancient Greece and Rome department is home to one of the most recognized and distinguished encyclopedic collections of classical art in the world. The more than 17,000 works in the collection range in date from the Bronze Age (about 2800 BCE) to the Early Byzantine period (600 CE) and were made, used, and seen principally in the Mediterranean but also elsewhere from Afghanistan to Britain. The collection is distinctive for its quality and the large number of singular, even iconic works; it is especially strong in Greek and Roman coinage and gems, Greek vases, and Roman portraiture.
Some of the Greek and Roman art was acquired through the Museum’s participation in the 1880s excavations led by the Archaeological Institute of America at Assos (Turkey) and the Egypt Exploration Society at Naukratis (Egypt); most was purchased on the European art market, beginning in 1885 under the leadership of Edward Robinson, the first classical curator in a US art museum, and through the agency of antiquities collector/dealer and Boston native Edward Perry Warren. Nearly 70 percent of the current collection had entered the Museum by 1914, the year World War I broke out in Europe. Individual works of art and their collecting history are exceptionally well researched, and the collection has been extensively documented in publications.
Over the last decade, nearly half the classical galleries on the second floor of the George D. and Margo Behrakis Wing for Art of the Ancient World have undergone renovations. In late 2021, the MFA opened five freshly imagined spaces dedicated to gods and goddesses, Byzantine art, early Greek art, Roman portraiture, and contemporary art in relation to ancient Greece and Rome. These galleries tell new stories using some of the oldest works in the Museum’s collection, reflecting our time through the art of the past.
Reporting to the Chief, Curatorial Affairs and Conservation, the Chair must be deeply committed to exploring the changing nature of art museums and their relationship to the public. The Chair will embrace and deepen the Museum’s core values, namely that the experience of our visitor is paramount to our mission, strategies, and achievements. The Chair will lead the Department and collaborate with colleagues widely and generously in developing the artistic vision and program of the Art of Ancient Greece and Rome at the MFA and extend and strengthen relations with stakeholders. The Chair will be a champion of the institution’s Strategic Plan, with the goal of cultivating an inclusive organizational culture that fosters belonging.
The Chair will be a core member of the Museum’s future, continuing to strengthen and extend the representation of the department’s collections as an essential and active part of the MFA’s global collections and program. The Chair will create exciting opportunities to establish connections and correlations with contemporary art, audiences, and ideas while continuing to interpret and care for the MFA’s existing historic collections. The Chair will be committed to provenance research and collaborative dialogue of repatriation as part of an overarching emphasis on the ethical stewardship of collections. In addition to deep and broad area expertise, the Chair will be a thought leader, committed to creating an environment within the Museum to foster a new generation of scholars and museum professionals. Leading staff and fellows, the Chair will foreground the diversity of artistic practice today and in the past to deliver a sustained visitor experience.
Candidate Profile
While it is understood that no one candidate will bring every desired skill, characteristic, and experience, the following offers a reflection of the ideal candidate profile.
Competencies
The ideal candidate will have:
- Intellectual vigor, demonstrated by a portfolio of engaging, thought-provoking exhibitions, surprising collection installations, evident commitment to lively onsite and online programs, and publications that have advanced scholarship in the fields of ancient Greek and Roman art.
- Curiosity and the desire and evident ability to expand and reimagine access to the Museum’s collections for local and global audiences.
- Clear commitment to IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, access), through projects, collaborations, hiring, and management that fosters a culturally inclusive and welcoming environment.
- An energetic and experienced leadership style, with the dynamic communication ability that engages staff, advocates, philanthropists, and diverse audiences.
- Generosity of spirit, experienced in becoming personally and professionally committed to an institution’s communities locally, nationally, and globally.
- Eagerness to re-imagine and re-present Museum spaces as vibrant, welcoming social and learning destinations.
The ideal candidate will be:
- An active member and leader of the field of art of the ancient world, and passionate in mentoring and supporting junior staff and students.
- Committed to collaboration with others across the Museum – and in the community – to achieve the best outcome.
Requirements
Experience
- Advanced degree in Art History, Archaeology, or related fields, and extensive knowledge in art exhibition and program planning and production that have sought and achieved imaginative ways of engaging with visitors and have met targeted results.
- Seven plus years in a leadership role in the art of the ancient world, with established contacts with national and international scholars, archaeologists, collectors, dealers, curators, and other museum professionals.
- An inspirational leader with experience in hiring, training, coaching, and evaluating staff who is committed to developing and mentoring the next generation of curators.
- Experienced in planning and prioritizing projects and making decisions in a timely manner to move plans and objectives forward.
- Considerable experience managing donor relationships.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $150,000 to $170,000 with a generous benefits package.
The MFA is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to building a culturally diverse staff and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, genetic information, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
About Koya Partners
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