Episode 32: When Community Service is Hardwired Into a Museum

Fitchburg Art Museum is experiencing a renaissance. Director Nick Capasso describes how their commitment to community service – through organizational culture, programming, and partnerships – strengthens and grows the creative ecology of the city.

Nick CapassoNicholas Capasso, Ph.D. is Director of the Fitchburg Art Museum, a community-oriented museum in Fitchburg, Massachusetts with art historical collections, changing exhibitions of regional contemporary art, and educational and community outreach programs. Prior to his appointment at Fitchburg, Capasso was Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, a museum of contemporary art in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
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Episode 30: Museum EBT Card Program Opens the Door a Bit Wider

Carole Charnow, President and CEO of the Boston Children’s Museum, shares how since 2012 the museum has provided reduced admission to visitors with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, the first program of its kind in New England.

Carole Charnow. Photo by Bethany Acheson.For over 30 years, Carole Charnow has led cultural non-profits in the US and the UK, overseeing over 100 professional theatrical and opera productions, and hundreds of community-based music and arts education programs and events.

Charnow was appointed the President and CEO of Boston Children’s Museum in 2010 and has leveraged her relationships to transform the Museum’s cultural programming. Under Charnow’s leadership the Museum won the 2013 IMLS National Medal, the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for extraordinary service to the community, presented by First Lady, Michelle Obama at the White House.
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Episode 22: Leadership Change Needn’t Be A Crisis

There’s an enormous amount of generational leadership change that’s happening in our arts and cultural organizations. And while people may liken succession planning to a form of disaster preparedness, Old Sturbridge Village – the largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast – sees it differently.

Jim Donahue, President and CEO of Old Sturbridge Village, discusses their intentional processes around leadership change – how it’s not just about the end of a person’s tenure, but about sustaining a strong organization (even if nobody leaves).

Jim Donahue, President and CEO of Old Sturbridge VillageJim Donahue is highly regarded in the non-profit sector as a collaborative visionary. He is recognized as one of the top non-profit executives in New England with an impressive background in leadership, education, and fund-raising.
Prior to taking the position as President and CEO for Old Sturbridge Village, Donahue was the CEO of the Bradford Dunn Institute for Learning Differences in Providence, RI.  The Institute operates a network of high-quality programs that include The Hasbro Center for Teaching Excellence, the RI Tutorial and Educational Services, and the CVS Highlander Charter School, which Donahue founded in 2000. Donahue negotiated the merger between the Bradford Dunn Institute and CVS Highlander Charter School in 2004. During his seven year tenure as the director of the charter school, he led the renovation of two campuses for the school and the establishment of several key capacity-building partnerships.
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Episode 3: Celebrating A Century of Inspiration

How do you make the most of a BIG birthday? Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM)’s Executive Director Chris McCarthy reflects on P-Town’s rich legacy as artists’ muse, and shares strategies for capitalizing on a centennial.
Chris_McCarthyChristine McCarthy has been the Executive Director of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum since 2001. She is responsible for all artistic, administrative, fiscal, and strategic directions of the largest presenter of Cape Cod art by national, regional, and international artists. In 2006, under the direction of McCarthy, PAAM was awarded Silver LEED Certification as the first “green” art museum in the country upon successful completion of a five million dollar renovation and expansion project. PAAM was awarded accreditation in March 2009 through the American Alliance of Museums. Most recently, McCarthy has spearheaded the 100th anniversary celebrations of PAAM. Continue reading “Episode 3: Celebrating A Century of Inspiration”