Preparing to pack his bags to leave Minneapolis for the Morgan, William Griswold assured me that he’s not a museum-hopper:
This is my retirement job. The Morgan is in my blood and in my heart.
Then, in the next breath, the 46-year-old acknowledged that he had “had every intention to stay here [in Minneapolis] a long time” and added, “I know there are bigger jobs” than his new position. Time will tell.
At the Morgan, he hopes to “bring out more of the collection and fill the Morgan with art,” enlivening spaces that he feels are now under-used. He is particularly interested in expanding the 20th-century and contemporary collections, as a way to “build audiences and build appreciation for the other material in the collection.”
Meanwhile, back in Minneapolis, he vows to “roll up my sleeves and work harder than ever during the next six months.” The board and staff, he said, have been “amazingly supportive” of his pending departure.
Did they have a choice?
(For more coverage, see the Minneapolis Star Tribune here and the NY Times here.)