Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director

Dartmouth seeks nominations and applications for the position of Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director of the Hood Museum of Art (Hood). The next director will be a collaborative, strategic, and visionary leader with a strong commitment to broad academic and community involvement. The mission of the Hood centers art and people in teaching and learning through inclusive and robust academic, cultural, and civic engagements with art and its histories.

A critical component of Dartmouth's distinctly varied, rich arts landscape, the Hood supports research and teaching, mounts groundbreaking exhibitions, and engages off-campus audiences through distinctive programs and events. The Hood is an intellectual and cultural anchor of the campus and actively engages students, staff, faculty, alumni, and local community members. The museum has a collection of more than 72,000 works of art from six continents, and the collection's strengths include Native American, European and American, Asian, Indigenous Australian, African, and Melanesian art. The Hood advances learning, care, and connections through the reach and relevance of visual art and material culture.

The next director will join the Hood Museum at an exciting moment within the organization and across the campus. The Hood stands poised to shape what an art museum at a world-class educational institution can and should be: an inspiring partner to scholars and students, a convener and presenter of intellectually rigorous and bold exhibitions, a champion of arts scholarship, an innovative community partner, and a shaper of public discourse. Grounded in the Hood’s collection, the director will advance thoughtful stewardship and strategic growth of the museum’s holdings, strengthening their use for teaching, research, and public engagement. Major priorities for the next director include:

• Deepening the museum’s integration into the curriculum and academic life across Dartmouth;
• Helping to set a vision for the arts at Dartmouth; and
• Furthering the museum’s reputation as a leading academic art museum that engages audiences locally and nationally.

The director, who reports to the provost, will be responsible for overseeing all activities of the museum and will provide strategic vision, direction, artistic oversight, and executive and administrative leadership. The successful candidate will have a deeply rooted commitment to the full scope of programs and partnerships that are offered at the Hood and a proven ability to work collaboratively with faculty, leadership, staff, students, and community partners. The director will possess deep knowledge of the arts and a strong commitment to the values of a liberal arts institution. An advanced degree in an art-related field and significant museum leadership experience is required. The director represents the museum to various external constituencies, most notably alumni and friends of the arts, the board of advisors, and audiences throughout the region. Overall, the director provides strategic leadership for the Hood Museum of Art, ensuring that the institution’s mission and objectives are fully articulated and effectively pursued.

A search committee has been formed and Isaacson, Miller, the national executive search firm, has been retained to assist in this recruitment. Confidential inquiries, applications, and nominations should be sent electronically below.

Ben Tobin is leading this search with Ryan Leichenauer and Alaine Small.

Dartmouth is an equal opportunity employer under federal law. Dartmouth prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications are welcome from all.