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- Eight Matisse Prints Stolen In Brazil
“In a daylight robbery on Sunday, two armed thieves stole eight prints by Henri Matisse and at least five engravings by Brazilian modernist painter Cândido Portinari from the Mário de Andrade Library in São Paulo.” – ARTnews
- Director of Development for Texas Ballet Theater
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
About the Opportunity
Texas Ballet Theater seeks a creative, hands-on Development Director to lead annual fundraising efforts and prepare for a capital campaign. This role will attract major individual and institutional donors while supervising event-driven fundraising and managing a committed development team.
Full job description: https://sweibelarts.com/open-positions/
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Development Director will manage Texas Ballet Theater’s Development department and lead all capital and other annual fundraising efforts to sustainably increase TBT’s available financial resources. This individual will lead the ongoing strategic planning process that identifies development team goals as well as the specific strategies and action steps necessary to achieve such objectives. Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:
- Prospecting, identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a personal portfolio consisting of 125-150 major donors and prospects (each with a philanthropic capacity to contribute $10,000-$100,000 annually).
- Complete a minimum of 15 substantive contacts monthly within the DFW metroplex to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a major giving portfolio.
- Work collaboratively with Executive Director, Development team, and Board of Governors to implement effective fundraising strategies for increased giving.
- Establish and maintain strong relationships within the community to strengthen and build Texas Ballet Theater’s positive image and financial support for its arts mission.
- Prepare professional written proposals, gift agreements, and other materials needed to define, secure, and document major gifts. Record and track all portfolio activities within Tessitura.
- Ensure financial revenue targets and portfolio benchmarks are met through regular review of goals.
- Participate in the development of marketing materials for major gift cultivation and stewardship activities/events in partnership with the Development team.
- Attend periodic donor events and community events as needed to cultivate and steward donors.
- Supervising, selecting, hiring, advancing, and mentoring the Development team: Major Gifts, Annual Giving, Special Events, and Institutional Giving.
Qualifications
Required
- 5+ years experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, public relations, communications, or marketing
- Demonstrated success leading significant fundraising campaigns
- Strong donor relations experience
- Proven ability to build and lead teams with performance metrics
- Bachelor’s degree in Non-Profit Management, Communications, Public Relations, Finance, or related field (or commensurate experience)
Preferred
- CFRE certification
- Compensation & Benefits
- Highly competitive salary plus full benefits:
- Health and dental insurance
- 403B retirement plan
- Paid vacation and sick leave
- Diverse, congenial, supportive environment
Location & Travel
- Dallas and/or Fort Worth, Texas
- Moderate travel across DFW metroplex, including some nights, weekends, conferences, and events
To Apply
Submit cover letter and resume to: jobs@sweibelarts.com
Review of candidates begins immediately and continues until the position is filled. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. - PEM, Director of Exhibition Design
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), in Salem, MA, is one of the largest and most dynamic art museums in the nation, committed to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and respectful environment. Over the last 30 years, PEM has distinguished itself as one of the fastest-growing art and culture museums in North America. Founded in 1799, it is also the country’s oldest continuously operating museum. At its heart is a mission to enrich and transform people’s lives by broadening their perspectives, attitudes, and knowledge of themselves and the wider world. PEM’s team is passionate about art, culture, and creating a memorable experience for everyone who walks through the doors. PEM’s growth in recent years has attracted a host of creative and innovative individuals.
PEM is seeking a qualified candidate to lead our Exhibition Design Department in the imaginative planning, design, and implementation of changing exhibitions, long-term collection galleries and object rotations, as well as in public space enhancements throughout the museum’s campus. This role will lead and inspire a vibrant team of designers and fabricators to deliver original and thought-provoking visual experiences in collaboration with exhibition project teams. The Director of Exhibition Design manages an annual exhibition budget (design costs), of one million dollars and a team of seven to eight staff. They play a pivotal role in shaping PEM’s exhibitions by delivering original, innovative designs while ensuring the seamless integration of artistic vision, practical execution, and strategic planning.
PEM’s culture is forward-thinking and collaborative, with staff regularly working across collections and departments, celebrating intersections, discovery, and immersive, out-of-the-box visitor experiences. The Exhibition Design Department provides an artful design-build function utilizing in-house talent and contract providers. As the leader of this department, the Director will inspire and guide the team, managing their contributions to all exhibition projects while also serving as Lead Designer for selected projects each year. The department operates as a collaborative unit, requiring close coordination to balance in-house fabrication capabilities with outsourced services to achieve outstanding and timely results.
This role requires an individual with excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across administrative, curatorial, marketing, interpretive, media, collection, facilities and security departments to achieve successful outcomes for PEM established goals and initiatives. The Director of Exhibition Design will also play a key role in the long-term planning of the Museum’s exhibition program in relation to scheduling, process development, budgets, contracts, and design and production resources.
This position offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of PEM’s exhibitions, combining creative vision with operational excellence in a role that intersects art, culture, and design innovation to create transformative and engaging visitor experiences. The role requires a leader with the ability to oversee complex logistics who can effectively manage schedules, balance competing priorities, and resolve challenges. They will expertly balance the diverse expectations of stakeholders with strong decision-making and adaptability. By combining clear communication with a collaborative spirit, they will engage constructively across departments to foster an environment of creativity and teamwork. The Director of Exhibition Design will be ultimately responsible for delivering projects on time and within budget.
This position reports to the Chief Curator, who also serves as the Nancy B. Putnam Curator for Fashion and Textiles.
ExhibitionsThe Director of Exhibition Design works closely with PEM’s exhibition managers, curators, and museum project teams to share in the production of a robust calendar of unique and highly acclaimed special exhibitions, circulating through approximately 30,000 square feet of gallery space. Ongoing collection galleries, occupying 55,000 square feet, rotate regularly and are often installed in thematic, multi-disciplinary presentations. PEM is particularly celebrated for its groundbreaking exhibitions that explore both contemporary and historical themes with bold, interdisciplinary perspectives. Recent exhibitions include Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice, Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World, Gu Wenda: United Nations, The Great Animal Orchestra: Bernie Krause and United Visual Artists, Bats!, Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle, Power and Perspective: Early Photography in China, and Empresses of China’s Forbidden City, which exemplify PEM’s commitment to presenting holistic narratives and experiences that resonate with diverse audiences.
SELECT RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
- Lead the design team—including 3D design, graphic design and fabrication—in innovative exhibition, gallery installation, and experience development.
- Contribute original, innovative designs and presentation ideas that align with PEM’s mission while facilitating a collaborative design process.
- Ensure successful development, review, and implementation of all design projects centered on design quality, resource planning, and timely completion.
- Coordinate a high volume of work, while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
- Manage departmental staffing; lead and develop a high-performing design team, fostering an environment where both departmental staff and project team members can succeed.
- Hire and oversee project-based consultants, including writing job descriptions, contracts, work order agreements, and progress reports, and approving invoices.
- Promote a shared departmental understanding of best practices for conservation-grade materials and mounts, casework materials and fabrication, gallery fit-up and finishes, media integration, interactives and public program support, graphics materials and techniques, and electrical and lighting systems.
- Mentor the design team to cultivate creative opportunities and promote knowledge of new technologies and techniques for inventive visitor engagement.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with senior leadership, curators, cross-divisional project team members, and outside vendors.
- Update and maintain a standardized design documentation system with a high level of clarity for internal stakeholder reviews, external bidding and production efficiency, and external lender or organizational reviews.
- Establish, track, and oversee compliance to both departmental and exhibition design budgets. The Director of Exhibition Design’s position is supported by an Administrative Assistant for general bookkeeping.
- Collaborate on exhibition-related grants with Development, Exhibition Planning, and Curatorial teams, providing budget projections and concept designs.
- Adhere to museum policies, procedures and practices as a department head and supervisor.
ACADEMIC AND EXPERIENCIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in design-related field required—Exhibit, Industrial, Theater, or Architectural Design. Advanced degree preferred.
- A minimum of eight years’ experience in exhibition design as well as four years of management and administration experience in a design-related capacity.
- Knowledge of a comprehensive design process for museum installations, including staffing and team coordination, scheduling and budgeting, and overall design phasing and document packaging.
- Strong working knowledge of various design software applications such as Vectorworks, AutoCAD, or REVIT, 3D Studio MAX, Rhino, Sketchup, Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project), and Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator).
- Well-versed in Experiential and Universal Design concepts, their applications, and a working knowledge of ADA guidelines and a practiced dedication to compliance.
ESSENTIAL ABILITIES
- Organizational, critical thinking, problem solving, and team management skills.
- Resourcefulness and nimbleness. Ability to adjust easily to changing priorities and complex situations.
- Passion for collaboration and team-oriented work.
- Strong professional interpersonal and communication skills that are open, decisive, and proactive.
- Ability to operate with individual initiative and creativity while delegating to and mentoring junior staff. Able to cultivate a positive and collaborative work environment of high productivity and creativity.
- Financial management skills and demonstrated success with operational budgeting, tracking and reporting on exhibition-design budgets. Skill to identify and fulfill needs and implement new administrative systems and strategies to manage multiple projects.
- Capacity to multitask, address complex issues, coordinate high-volume work, while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with senior leadership, museum project teams, and a variety of vendors.
Research shows that women and individuals from under-represented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that an applicant meets 100% of the qualifications for a given role. Therefore, if much of this job description describes you, then you are highly encouraged to apply for this role.
COMPENSATION
- The hiring salary for the position is $100,000 — $121,000. Final compensation will reflect seniority and experience. Experienced candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Comprehensive benefits package.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply in confidence, submit application online at https://rcr.li/PUXH by February 7, 2026.
A complete application should include:
- A cover letter expressing interest in the position and giving brief examples of past related experience.
- A résumé or C.V.
- The names and contact information for three professional references able to evaluate the candidate’s leadership and work, indicating their relationship with the candidate.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. All applications and nominations are kept confidential; we will not contact references without your permission. EA/EO. For more details, visit: www.museum-search.com/open-searches.
Questions should be directed to Ken Turino, Senior Search Consultant, Museum Search & Reference, via SearchandRef@museum-search.com.
The Peabody Essex Museum is committed to diversity among its employees and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
- Good Morning:
Today’s AJ highlights: The media market is at war: the bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery has escalated into a hostile takeover attempt by Paramount (CNN). This massive consolidation is drawing antitrust scrutiny from the Trump FTC, a move one analyst argues would be a good thing for competition and market diversity (Slate). Amid the corporate struggles, smaller studios like A24 and Neon dominate the Golden Globes nominations (The New York Times). But small presses face a deep financial crisis due to market oversaturation by big publishing (LitHub).
There’s a profound AI identity crisis. The very definition of human intelligence is under threat, as scientists admit AI is passing nearly all human tests for cognitive ability (Nature). Even our private musical preferences are now a corporate scorecard, with a critique arguing that Spotify Wrapped is corrosive to genuine taste (The Guardian).
Amidst all this, the field of Architecture is redefining its purpose, pivoting from the “lone genius” model of the past to one focused on collective activism and social challenges (ArchDaily).
Bonus: I wrote a post that adds up how much of the creative work around us is now generated by AI (Diacritical). What happens if machines make the art and nobody cares?
All of our stories below.
- Struggling To Define Intelligence: What Does It Take?
We are running out of intelligence tests that humans can pass reliably and AI models cannot. By those benchmarks, and if we accept that intelligence is essentially computational — the view held by most computational neuroscientists — we must accept that a working ‘simulation’ of intelligence actually is intelligence. – Nature
- Spotify Wrapped Is Everything That’s Wrong About Our Outsourced Musical Taste
It nudges listeners away from deep consideration and towards accepting a corporate-branded scorecard reflecting a very specific perspective on musical value. It encourages music fans to believe that the records they streamed the most must be the ones they liked the most, which is surely not always the case. – The Guardian
- Architecture Is Shifting From The “Lone Genius” Model To Collective Activism
Architects are expanding their boundaries into other fields such as gastronomy, music, design, and the corporate world, applying spatial thinking to address challenges of various kinds. As social, environmental, and political crises deepen, the role of the architect continues to evolve from a solitary author to a mediator, activist, and collective agent of transformation. – ArchDaily
- Inside The Enormous New Grand Egyptian Museum
Located on a desert plateau formed by the Nile thousands of years ago, the Museum’s geological setting was integral to the design. Beginning at a focal point outside of the entrance, the Museum structure radiates outward toward the pyramids along a visual axis that aligns directly with the positioning of the three pyramids. – ArchDaily
- Why Small Publishers Are In Crisis
There’s a sense that big publishing has stopped investing in people, authors, and good writing, and is just producing huge amounts of product, which means a completely oversaturated market and overstuffed bookstores. – LitHub
- Trump’s FTC Might Block The Netflix/Warner Deal. That Wouldn’t Be A Bad Thing
From a competition standpoint, Warner Bros. going to Netflix is sharp a step in the wrong direction. It’s turbocharging the runaway market leader, leaving the other studios’ streaming services to wither on the vine. – Slate
- How An Ex-Actress Created Tilly, The AI Actress
Eline Van der Velden toiled with her 15-person team to nail down the look of her leading lady, creating 2,000 iterations of an actress unbound by the limits of physical ability, age or talent. She passed on dud iterations with the ruthless efficiency of a casting director who makes actors cry at auditions. – The Wall Street Journal
- How Netflix Swallowed Hollywood
Piece by piece, Netflix has disrupted a more-than-century-old industry, from the way consumers rent movies and TV shows, to the cadence at which new series are released and even the economics of how entertainment is made. – The Wall Street Journal
- Another Big Departure At The George Lucas Museum
“There are no immediate plans to replace Pilar’s role as Chief Curator and Deputy Director of Curatorial and Collections,” wrote interim Chief Executive Jim Gianopulos in an email obtained by The Times. “George Lucas will continue to oversee curatorial content and direction.” – Los Angeles Times
- Are Indie Studios Dead? Not According To The Golden Globes Nominations
A24 and Neon absolutely dominated the best picture nominations, leaving predicted nominees like Wicked: For Good and Jay Kelly out in the cold. – The New York Times
- Now Paramount Has Launched A Hostile Bid For Warner Bros.
What will the president, who is chummy with the (new) Paramount owners, do? – CNN
- The EU Fined That Site Formerly Known As Twitter 120 Million Euros
“Elon Musk responded with his trademark tact and professionalism by posting ‘Bullshit’ on X in response to the announcement.” Then “Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, accused the Commission of abusing an exploit to boost the reach of the announcement and responded by shutting down its ad account.” – The Verge
- What A Symphony’s Director Of Classical Programming Really Does
“I determine the pieces that the orchestra will perform, when we perform, which guest conductors and artists we perform with, all the details of their contracts – and combine everything into each concert that makes up a season. … I’m like the party planner.” – Oregon ArtsWatch
- Small Presses Are Underfunded And In Crisis
The crisis is a shame, because “generally small presses take risks that bigger publishers don’t, so we end up with some really interesting and original writing.” Then there’s the intimacy of dealing from start to finish with the physical fact of a book. – LitHub
- Fern Michaels, Who Built A Writing Empire, Has Died At 92
“Michaels sold an estimated 150 million books, including bodice rippers, family dramas and mysteries, according to Kensington Publishing, her longtime publisher. Her work has been translated into 20 languages.” And she started in her 40s. – The New York Times
- What Filmmaker Laura Poitras Thought When Seymour Hersh Suddenly Quit Her Documentary About Him
The investigative reporter took years to agree to the film. Poitras has won awards for her documentaries about Edward Snowden and Nan Goldin.”Her main thought, when Hersh briefly bailed on the project, was a sense of relief that he had considerately done so on-camera.” – The Guardian (UK)
- How Stephen Sondheim’s Biggest Flop Is Suddenly A Pretty Great Feature Film
To be fair, it’s a film – a “pro shot” – of the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along. And “what ended up saving it was a superfan: actor and director Maria Friedman, who turned a role in a 1992 production of the play into a series of restagings.” – CBC
- Four Art Basels, And What’s To Show For It?
Hmmm: There’s “a supersaturation of the cultural calendar, and there’s only so much good art to go around.” – The New York Times
- Ted Sarandos Of Netflix Went To Meet With Donald Trump Before Offering The Big Money For Warner Bros
“While sources did not know what the two men discussed, it does seem to point to an outcome that led to Netflix feeling they had a clear enough runway to make a serious play for the historic studio.” (The president made comments on Sunday that may indicate a different outcome, however.) – The Hollywood Reporter
- A Deep Dive Into The National Archives, Where Few Curators Have Survived The Purges
“The archives … said that no curators of ‘The American Story’ were available to speak, citing staff departures that have left the institution with only two curators, neither of whom had a substantial role in the exhibition.” – The New York Times
- Jane Austen Still Has Us In A Chokehold
“Austen’s characters are archetypes. That’s what makes them so relatable today. We all know someone who’s awkward and ingratiating, like Mr. Collins, clever and independent, like Lizzie, or reticent and reserved, like Mr. Darcy.” – NPR
- A Spicy Gay Hockey Book Has Become A Global Phenomenon TV Show
Rachel Reid, author of many same-sex sports romances, on Heated Rivalry’s scorching HBO debut: “It’s like I opened a door and there was on the other side a million people screaming. … It’s been really cool, but also it doesn’t feel real at all.” – Washington Post (Yahoo)
- How New York’s Culture Shaped Its New Mayor
“Long before he became an unlikely political force, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was just another 20-something trying to squeeze a laugh out of his Saturday improv class in Manhattan.” – The New York Times
- Why We Must Keep Reading Novels
“My Brilliant Friend made me angry because other media doesn’t make me feel this way — fully like a human.” – Matt Pearce
- Behold The “Performative Reader”
Performative reading has firmly implanted itself into the popular imagination, becoming a meme for a generation of people who, by all accounts, aren’t reading a whole lot of books. – The New Yorker
- The AI that has Colonized our Creativity
Everyone’s talking about AI, and you’re being pestered to use it every time you open your phone. But are you aware the extent that AI has taken over how much of what you see and hear online?
- It’s Just Science: Some Christmas Music Really Tanks Productivity
Those who love torturing customers and co-workers alike might have to listen to the science. The fact is, Ariana Grande and Andy Williams are out. “On the other hand, Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ emerged as the most productivity-friendly holiday track.” – Fast Company
- Gehry Was The Rare Architect Who Also Changed Music
“The ‘Goldberg Variations’ was Gehry’s favorite work. He loved its otherworldliness and its worldliness. He loved its invitation to dance and to dream. He loved its astonishing sense of design, complex yet flowing with the ocean’s grace, its depth and its inviting surface.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
- The Kennedy Center Under The 47th President: Emptier, Showier, Way More Political
“What is the Kennedy Center now? For one thing, it’s getting a Trumpian revamp. He ordered new marble and the repainting of the exterior columns in austere white. Portraits of the first and second couples now hang in the center’s Hall of Nations.” – Washington Post (MSN)
- Guy Cogeval, Art Historian And Curator Who Turned The Musee D’Orsay Into A Well-Traveled Blockbuster Site, Has Died At 70
“In a country with a reverential approach to its artistic heritage, the flamboyant Mr. Cogeval — ‘deceptively reserved and genuinely eccentric,’ according to Le Figaro newspaper — was a subversive figure. He was unconcerned, even pleased, by the criticism.” – The New York Times
- According To A Linguist Who Works At A Language App, Here Are 2025’s Most Mispronounced Words
We all know that a lot of folks get the new mayor of New York’s name wrong – sometimes deliberately. And then there’s a museum in Paris that had a famous theft this year. But Denzel Washington? Really? – NPR
