Search committee picks 2 finalists for director of Springfield Art Museum

June 22, 2012|edited news release

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The City of Springfield has two finalists for the position of director of the Springfield Art Museum. The candidates will be in Springfield on Monday for interviews with the Art Museum Board.

The candidates also will meet with the city manager, the City of Springfield's Leadership Team and will participate in a meet-and-greet session with the public from 5-6 p.m., Monday, in the lobby of the museum, 1111 E. Brookside Drive.

In alphabetical order, the candidates are:

• Connie Gibbons has more than 25 years of experience leading strategic change and growth. She graduated from Drury College in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in art, and from Texas Tech University in 1987 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography and art history.

The founding director of the B.B. KingMuseum and the Buddy Holly Center, she has led diverse teams in the planning and development of multi-media and award winning exhibits and served as projectmanager for construction of new facilities and development of new programs. Her experience includes development of numerous contemporary art exhibitions, interpreting material, educational programs and outreach initiatives, and oversight of collections and archives.

In addition Gibbons serves as a peer reviewer for the American Association of Museums MAP and Accreditation programs. She has served as a grants reviewer for the State Arts Agencies in Texas, Mississippi and Wyoming, as well for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Gibbons serves currently as the executive director of an art museum in Wyoming.

• Nick Nelson has served as the executive director of the Albany Museum of Art in Albany, Georgia, since 2009. During his tenure, the Albany Museum of Art expanded its outreach and education programs, hosted award-wining exhibitions, and cultivated community and statewide partnerships with other museums and organizations.

Nelson has overseen major facility upgrades and oversaw the reinstallation of the museum’s permanent collection galleries and the launch of a new website featuring downloadable audio tours, gallery guides, and other web-based educational provisions. Nelson also led the Albany Museum of Art through a successful re-accreditation bidwith the American Association of Museums. Nelson serves as a peer reviewer for the AAM’s accreditation program and has served as a grant reviewer for the Georgia Council for the Arts.

Prior to becoming director, he served as the museum’s curator of education, where he established programs for a variety of audiences including adults, school children, families, and college and university students. These programs included: internships, curriculum-based school tours and outreach programs,lectures, summer art camps, after school art classes, and a variety of family events.

1 | 2 | Next

|

|

|