Director of Gibbes Museum Suddenly Quits

It appears to be a personal decision with ultimately little bearing on the Gibbes.

"Todd was at a transition in life," said Tom White, president of the board of directors, who played a significant role in hiring Smith. "At this point, he wants to get his dissertation done to establish his future credentials. He's 42. Now is the time in his life to get that done." (Smith's dissertation is on Washington Allston, an 18th- and early 19th-century American romantic painter and a key figure in the Gibbes' collection. Smith is working on an exhibit of Allston's work.)

Repeatedly in interviews, Smith was described as friendly, warm, charming, and easy to work with. His vision of a museum as a civic forum that actively engages curious audiences was one that resonated with staffers, directors, and forward-thinking board members. One person expressed appreciation for Smith's leadership style: He didn't micro-manage but instead empowered employees to use their own talents, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

One source said Smith reaffirmed the museum's core mission to be all about access and public interaction. Another said there was indeed anxiety about an uncertain future among staffers but that they still felt allegiance to principles Smith helped re-establish. Another source said there is awareness among board directors of the need for change. The questions now are how and when. Finding the answers to these questions, this source said, will require a process of institutional self-discovery that could take a very long time.

"Todd did great things for the Gibbes," White told me. "He was extremely astute about controlling finances, he clarified exhibition policies, and he kept us committed to the community, to preserving the past and looking to the future."

As for the Gibbes, it seems to be moving in the right direction. The obvious next step is finding a new director who can provide the leadership needed to achieve future amibitions that seem to include supplementing the permanent collection with contemporary art and laying the foundation for the construction of a badly needed new building.

But don't hold your breath. How to get all that done won't be outlined until a new director has devised a new three-to-five-year business strategy. That could take months, most likely longer, to realize, as the director search has yet to get underway.

"The board needs a strong director," White said. "We don't want to impose a strategic plan on a new director. We'd rather have that person bring a vision to the table. We'll go through a period of remission, so to speak, until we find the right person to take care of the business at hand." --John Stoehr