Corcoran Gallery of Art Director Paul Greenhalgh Resigns
May 27, 2010 by All Art News
Filed under Artists & People
WASHINGTON, DC.- At a meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design accepted the resignation of Dr. Paul Greenhalgh from the position of director and president, effective June 1, 2010.
Greenhalgh announced the news to the Corcoran community today, stating that he has accepted a position as director of the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, England, and will assume the role on November 1. Additionally, Greenhalgh intends to pursue academic projects as part of his new position at UEA.
“The Corcoran is one of the grand institutions of American life, and I have greatly enjoyed my years as director and president. The artistic and intellectual environment of the institution, and the spirit of friendship found everywhere inside these beautiful walls, has few matches anywhere in the world. At this point in time, however, I have determined to change the emphasis in my life and work,” Greenhalgh said in a letter. “While I will be back in England, at one of the nation’s most important centers for the study of visual arts, I will always remain a part of the Corcoran family.”
During a five month period of transition, Greenhalgh will continue to serve the institution as artistic director and on November 1, as adjunct curator of European fine and decorative arts.
“Since 2006, Paul has been dedicated to leading the Corcoran through an unprecedented period of challenge and change. His tenure at the institution has resulted in great growth of the Gallery and College,” said Harry Hopper, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “We thank Paul for his countless contributions to the Corcoran and look forward to our continued relationship through his role as adjunct curator.”
Current Chief Operating Officer Fred Bollerer will serve as director and chief executive officer, controlling the daily operations of the institution, and Provost and Dean Kirk Pillow will serve as interim president of the College. Chief Curator and Head of Research Philip Brookman will continue to direct curatorial affairs. Until a national search can be conducted, the core functions of the Corcoran will continue under the leadership of Bollerer and the senior management team.
Appointed COO in July 2009, Bollerer brings broad experience in finance and strategic asset management to the operations of the Corcoran. He most recently served as partner of Real Change Strategies, LLC in McLean, Va. where he provided leadership and direction to a number of non-profit organizations, specifically within the arts and cultural arena. Prior to that, Bollerer was a partner at Venture Philanthropy Partners, where he oversaw large investments in a number of non-profit organizations. Additionally, Bollerer sits on the boards of several non-profit organizations in Washington.
Under Provost and Dean Pillow’s leadership since 2007, the College has achieved historic highs in student enrollment and has launched five new undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Prior to his position at the Corcoran, Pillow served as associate dean of faculty at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.
As an acclaimed scholar and curator, Brookman has organized and collaborated on major exhibitions for the Corcoran, Tate Modern, London, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, including the Corcoran’s current exhibition, Helios: Eadweard Muybridge in a Time of Change. Prior to the Corcoran, Brookman held curatorial positions at Washington Project for the Arts, El Centro Cultural de la Raza, San Diego, and the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Before joining the Corcoran in 2006, Greenhalgh served five years as President of Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD university), one of Canada’s principle degree-granting art and design institution. Prior to NSCAD, Greenhalgh was the Head of Research at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), the largest museum of fine, decorative art and design in the world. A world-renowned scholar, Greenhalgh has organized a number of exhibitions and published eight arts and culture books over 20 years of scholarship. His newest book, entitled FAIR WORLD: A History of the World’s Fairs and Expositions from London to Shanghai 1851-2010, will be released in the upcoming months.
