Press Room

New York, NY (January 22, 2016)

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) today announced that Glenn Adamson, the Nanette L. Laitman Director of the museum, will be stepping down from his position as of March 31, 2016. During his tenure, Dr. Adamson has led the institution through a period of significant growth of its programming and resources, and built a new leadership team. Robert Cundall, Managing Director, will serve as interim director as the board of trustees undertakes a search for a new director.

Dr. Adamson, who was appointed to his current position in 2013, will be leaving the museum to work on exhibition, research, and institutional development projects. He will continue to collaborate with MAD’s curatorial team on the development of exhibitions through the fall of this year, including a major exhibition focusing on the groundbreaking work of ceramic sculptor Peter Voulkos.

At MAD, Dr. Adamson spearheaded an exhibitions program that explored and expanded MAD’s unique mission and role in the arts ecology of New York and the nation, including NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial; Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin; Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today; Wendell Castle Remastered; Studio Job: MAD HOUSE (forthcoming in March); Voulkos: The Breakthrough Years (forthcoming in October); among others.

Dr. Adamson created the position of Windgate Research Curator, in collaboration with the Bard Graduate Center, to further enhance the scholarship of MAD’s publications and exhibitions. He also expanded MAD’s noted artist-in-residence program by engaging younger artists from traditionally under-represented communities, through an initiative funded by a grant from the New York Community Trust.

During Dr. Adamson’s tenure, significant additions were made to the collection including works of art, craft, and design by such artists as Nicole Cherubini, Karen Karnes, and, through a partnership with the Penland School of Crafts, Mary Ann Scherr. Under his leadership, the financial position and visibility of the museum were strengthened, paving the way for MAD’s future continued success.

“In collaboration with the staff and board of the museum, we have created a robust, well-rounded program that advances our distinguished mission, which focuses on the support of artists across disciplines while celebrating their skills and ideas,” noted Dr. Adamson. “With a new senior team in place and an exciting program mapped out for the coming years, it is the right time for me to step down so I can work on a number of projects that are important to me and the field.”

“Glenn has done a terrific job in leading MAD through a period of substantive institutional growth and in fostering the professionalism of our operations, and he has put a great team in place to carry forth his work," stated Lewis Kruger, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. "We are sorry to see him go and, on behalf of the trustees, staff, and audiences we serve, would like to thank him for all he has done for the museum."

The Board of Trustees is creating a search committee to identify a new director for the museum.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) champions contemporary makers across creative fields, presenting artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill to their work. Since the museum’s founding in 1956 by philanthropist and visionary Aileen Osborn Webb, MAD has celebrated all facets of making and the creative processes by which materials are transformed, from traditional techniques to cutting-edge technologies. Today, the museum’s curatorial program builds upon a rich history of exhibitions that emphasize a cross-disciplinary approach to art and design, and reveals the workmanship behind the objects and environments that shape our everyday lives. MAD provides an international platform for practitioners who are influencing the direction of cultural production and driving 21^st-century innovation, fostering a participatory setting for visitors to have direct encounters with skilled making and compelling works of art and design.