The High Museum today named Randall Suffolk to become its new director, succeeding the Atlanta museum’s 15-year head, Michael Shapiro, who leaves on July 31. Suffolk, director of the Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, since 2007, will assume his High position Nov. 2.
Philip Verre, the High’s COO of and previously director of the Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, will be the High’s interim director during the interregnum.
The press release announcing Suffolk’s appointment highlights his “comprehensive plan that aligned [the Philbrook’s] programming with the interests of Tulsa residents. This initiative resulted in a 63 percent increase in attendance; 293 percent growth in educational program participation; and a 22 percent rise in membership….He grew the operating budget by 40 percent; grew the permanent collection by more than 24 percent by adding 2,800 new works.”
But beyond the metrics, I was impressed by his five-question Q & A with Tulsa World, in which he struck all the right notes regarding mission and outreach.
As reported by Bo Emerson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rand’s new position is a step up for him:
The Philbrook draws about 150,000 visitors annually, on a budget of about $8 million. The High, by contrast, has entertained as many as 400,000 visitors in a year, and operates on a $20 million budget. It is the leading art museum in the Southeast.
Before his Philbrook gig, Suffolk had been director of the Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY.
Shapiro told the Journal-Constitution that he is “not retiring, [but] said he had no other position in mind.”
Michael added:
I don’t think that I’m necessarily done doing interesting things. I just have no idea what they will happen to be.
Please, Michael, not this!