Executive Director - Chicago, United States - Elmhurst Art Museum

Description

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Opportunity Profile

With over 37,000 visitors annually to its exhibitions and community art projects, the Elmhurst
Art Museum cultivates a space where art is for everyone. The 15,000+ square foot suburban
museum aims to be a cultural leader in the Chicagoland area for contemporary art, arts
education, and mid-century modern architecture. Through its thought-provoking, diverse
exhibitions and programming, the museum sparks creativity and enrichment through the visual
arts, education, and architecture.

The next Executive Director has an opportunity to build on this strong engagement within
DuPage County; implement the museum's newly approved strategic plan including acquiring
national museum accreditation; lead the museum's team of 7 staff members; leverage Board
and Committee expertise; and garner community support. Further details are found below.


About
In 1981 a group of teachers, artists and community organizers, established the Elmhurst Art
Museum with the belief that people from all walks of life can learn to see and think differently
through meaningful participation in the arts. With initial focus on exhibiting and collecting
works of primarily local artists, the Museum significantly expanded to feature nationally and
internationally recognized artists.

In 1992, led by artist and educator Eleanor King Hookham, the Foundation purchased the
unique Mies van der Rohe-designed McCormick House (1952), a private home in Elmhurst. With
an ambitious and unprecedented undertaking, the house was moved from its location to the
Elmhurst Art Museum Campus. The Museum commissioned Chicago-based architectural firm
DeStefano + Partners to design a new building incorporating this unique architectural
component with substantial exhibition, education, public and administrative spaces.

The Elmhurst Art Museum was established and granted 501c(3) status in 1997. The Museum

Campus features:
high ceiling art galleries and dedicated classrooms, collection storage, and the
McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of only
three residences designed and built by Mies in the United States.

As a regional art museum, the Elmhurst Art Museum is committed to showing emerging and
established Midwest artists, with a focus on the Chicagoland area, and featuring local architects
in programming around the McCormick House. The development of exhibitions, public talks,
education center workshops, and other community-based projects, along with the Museum's
growing collection of 1,000 collection objects, have been key foundations of the organization's
public offerings. The Elmhurst Art Museum provides access to world-class exhibitions which
change three times per year, the unique 1952 home by Mies van der Rohe, and an Education
Center that serves the residents of Elmhurst and the surrounding communities. In 2022, the
museum took ownership of the popular two-day outdoor arts festival, Art in Wilder Park which
hosts over 10,000 visitors each year in Wilder Park, which has expanded the Museum's
awareness and programming reach. This highly anticipated event is an Elmhurst tradition and
the first outdoor Spring festival in the western suburbs each year.

The Board of Directors recently approved a 3-5 Strategic Plan, with the goal to develop a
forward-thinking purpose/vision and implementation steps that allows the Museum to focus on
the future while managing the needs of today. Three distinct areas in this plan are Our Products
(art, education, and architecture), Our Community (public projects and community
engagement), and Our House (core capacities and resources) to strengthen and expand the
museum's reach. Through all 3 of these core pillars is the vision of "art is for everyone" and a
deep commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility & inclusion (DEAI) to enhance
representation and inclusion opportunities.


The Opportunity
The Board of Director seeks a visionary leader with an excellent track record of budget
management, fundraising, strategic planning and staff management to lead the vibrant and
healthy organization into the future. The mission of this role is to ensure the long-term
sustainability of the museum by building and maintaining a strong brand identity, expanding
revenue sources, and maintaining a high level of fiscal and people management practices.

The Executive Director (ED) collaborates with the Board to set the vision and strategic direction
of the organization. S/he serves as the Museum's public face and spokesperson and must be
visible and proactive in the community. S/he is also the organization's primary fundraiser and
works closely with the Board of Directors and staff to cultivate new and established donors and
to continue to grow productive partnerships with business, cultural, and academic entities. The
ED establishes fundraising priorities and objectives; creates strategies to meet goals; develops
and cultivates donors a