AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Art Basel Paris Closes Two Days Early
This Week’s Highlights:
Art students blocked the Louvre’s glass pyramid on Monday and closed the museum, two days after a nationwide protest over public schools ended in about 2,400 arrests and a burned town hall in Limoges (ARTnews). By Thursday, Art Basel Paris had cut its run to end Friday at 7 p.m. instead of Sunday, leaving dealers to rebook shippers (ARTnews).
The Phoenix Symphony suspended its season after November 1 and is laying off 66 musicians, though revenue rose more than 50% between fiscal 2024 and 2026 (FOX 10 Phoenix). The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts closed a campaign at $344 million against a $330 million goal, including a $55 million anonymous gift (The Philadelphia Inquirer). In April a jury found Live Nation illegally monopolized live events (Los Angeles Times).
Three French entrepreneurs launched the Prix Pascal for novels co-written with AI, the day Quebec publisher Boréal confirmed that Thélyson Orélien’s Fnac-prize-winning novel was (CP24).
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
- Donald Borror shares the transformative impact of Pasculano Dance at Lincoln Center
Donald Borror, Director of the Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance at Lincoln Center, shares their transformative impact on the field.
- A New Shanghai Landmark for Opera
Good Morning,
Snøhetta, the Oslo architecture firm, opened the Shanghai Grand Opera House on October 17 with a double-helix staircase on the Huangpu River that passersby can climb whether or not they have a seat inside (Architectural Digest).
Buddy Brundo, 83, is asking $15 million for Conway Recording Studios, the Melrose Avenue complex where Fleetwood Mac and Kendrick Lamar recorded (Los Angeles Times). Will a judge break up Live Nation? Hundreds of independent venues around America have closed as Live Nation tightened its grip on the concert business. The judge who could break up the company hasn’t ruled on its bid to overturn April’s verdict (Los Angeles Times).
Art Basel Paris closed Friday night, two days early, ahead of planned weekend protests in the city, and a Vienna dealer says that participating galleries will lose the weekend collectors who work during the week (ARTnews).
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s funding campaign closed at $344 million against a $330 million goal, with 13,000 donors new to the orchestra or the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia Inquirer). David Cohen is now adding $10.5 million with his wife, Rhonda, calling arts organizations “a little under-appreciated” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
In July 1518 a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing in a Strasbourg street and didn’t stop; by late August as many as 400 people had joined her. City officials cleared the grain market, built a stage and hired musicians, then reversed course and banned dancing, a sequence the historian John Waller tells Popular Science did real harm.
All of the stories we collected are below.
- Executive Director, National Museum of Women in the Arts
Founded by collector and philanthropist Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) holds a singular place in the cultural landscape as the world’s first institution solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. Located in Washington, DC, the museum opened its doors in 1987, bringing recognition to the achievements of women artists across all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching their work, and educating the public about their enduring contributions. Its mission is both focused and expansive: to address the persistent gender imbalance in the presentation of art by illuminating important women artists of the past while actively promoting the great women artists working today.
NMWA operates from the conviction that an art museum can be a force for social change: a place where women’s voices are heard and diverse stories are told through exhibitions and programs designed to inspire dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. Its core values, Champion, Open, and Fresh, shape everything from curatorial choices to community engagement, reflecting an organizational culture that prizes both advocacy and accessibility.
The museum is headquartered in an iconic Washington, DC building that recently underwent a sweeping $70 million renovation. With a staff of 102 (70 full-time and 32 part-time) and a FY27 operating budget of approximately $20.5 million, NMWA operates at meaningful institutional scale, supported by an endowment of approximately $76 million, with a $25 million Cornerstone Fund dedicated to the building. Approximately 60 percent of operating revenue is derived from contributed support, reflecting the museum’s deep reliance on philanthropic relationships.
NMWA’s collection spans the sixteenth century to the present, and its exhibitions and programs reach audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. The museum invests significantly in digital engagement and is actively exploring how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can elevate its profile and deepen its reach.
The museum is approaching a significant milestone: its 40th anniversary in 2027. The planned retirement of longtime Director Susan Fisher Sterling, appointed in 2008 after joining the museum in 1988, opens a new chapter for an institution that has never been more prepared to pursue its founding vision at scale. In a moment when questions of representation and equity are reshaping the arts world, NMWA has been asking and acting on these questions for nearly four decades.
Learn more about NMWA at http://nmwa.org/.
The Opportunity
The National Museum of Women in the Arts seeks a bold, relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Executive Director at a pivotal moment in the institution’s history. As NMWA approaches its 40th anniversary and embarks on its next chapter, the Executive Director will serve as the museum’s chief executive and primary fundraiser, upholding the museum’s mission and securing the philanthropic partnerships necessary to sustain and expand its impact.
The Executive Director will provide the strategic vision and operational authority to position NMWA as an essential voice in national and global conversations about women, art, and culture. Leading a staff of 102 and overseeing a $20.5 million annual budget, this leader will drive programmatic excellence, promote digital innovation, and serve as the museum’s primary public ambassador, inspiring diverse audiences and elevating NMWA’s reputation across media, government, and civic platforms.
The Executive Director will partner closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure trustees are active advocates, connectors, and donors, and will leverage NMWA’s distinctive infrastructure of state and international committees to build new constituencies and deepen existing ones. They will personally cultivate and close major gifts, and build a culture of philanthropy across the institution, engaging individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government funders alike.
The ideal candidate brings proven executive leadership in a museum or comparable cultural institution, demonstrated success as a frontline fundraiser, and deep passion for gender equity and the arts. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the most distinctive and mission-driven institutions in the American cultural landscape.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional skills and qualities, and personal attributes.
Top candidates will have at least ten years of success in senior leadership roles in a museum, cultural institution, or comparable organization. Deep passion for the arts, gender equity, and the mission of championing women artists globally. Advanced degree in art, art history, arts administration, or other relevant subject matter; our client is also open to candidates with equivalent professional experience in a nonprofit setting.
Strategic Vision and Mission Advancement
Our client seeks leaders with experience developing and executing a multi-year institutional strategic plan, with measurable outcomes and demonstrated board and staff buy-in. This executive will partner closely with the Board and team members to articulate a clear, differentiated organizational identity, successfully unifying internal and external stakeholders around a shared mission narrative. They should have the ability to develop and implement strategic plans to guide growth and development. Experience building high-profile partnerships and collaborations that elevate institutional visibility and deepen artist/community relationships.
Philanthropic Relationship Building and Leadership
Candidates should have exceptional relationship-building skills with the presence and credibility to engage and persuade major donors, board members, government officials, and media. Ideal candidates should be well-networked in relevant donor communities, with a personal track record of cultivating and closing six- and seven-figure gifts. Experience leading or playing a central role in a major capital or comprehensive campaign and an understanding of the long arc of arts philanthropy and donor relationships is desirable. Demonstrated ability to build a culture of philanthropy across an organization, engage volunteer networks as fundraising assets, and develop a sustainable pipeline. Success with personally cultivating and closing significant gifts, an understanding of the relational, non-transactional nature of arts philanthropy, and the credibility to lead significant capital campaign.
Board Partnership and Governance
Experience working in partnership with an engaged Board of Trustees and other key stakeholders. Prior success partnering effectively with complex boards and navigating governance dynamics with diplomacy while moving the institution forward. Track record of evolving a board toward higher engagement, clearer giving expectations, and stronger philanthropic participation. A trusted partner to board leadership across generations who understands and enforces the appropriate boundary between board oversight and staff operations.
Financial and Operational Leadership
Broad expertise in financial management for art museums and/or other relevant not-for-profit settings, with the ability to manage budgets, analyze financial data, and optimize resources for sustainable growth. We seek candidates who have served as effective stewards of complex nonprofit finances, including endowment management, and the discipline to reduce structural reliance on draw while growing earned and contributed revenue to achieve revenue diversification. Our client seeks a leader with a track record of implementing organizational accountability frameworks, including clear processes, defined roles and performance metrics, that translate strategy into execution. An executive who applies a data-driven approach to resource allocation and organizational design while promoting a positive organizational culture and enhancing staff morale.
Communications, Advocacy, and Innovation
Superior communication and public speaking skills, adept at storytelling, in order to serve as a passionate advocate and effective ambassador for the institution. A compelling, credible public voice, comfortable on national stages, in media, and in policy conversations; able to expand an institution’s relevance and presence. Track record of establishing or significantly improving internal communications infrastructure, ensuring staff alignment and engagement during periods of change. Experience defining and advancing a community and public relations agenda tied to an institutional mission and embracing innovative approaches to audience development. Comfort with digital technologies, participatory platforms, and engagement strategies, with an interest in the possibilities for integration of digital and AI tools to effectively interact, build relationships and expand audiences, and drive meaningful internal and external outcomes.
Team Leadership
History of inspiring and motivating a team, setting clear goals, and making informed decisions. A people-first leader known for warmth, approachability, and high emotional intelligence, who builds trust with mission-driven staff navigating organizational transitions. A collaborative leader who empowers senior leaders with clear authority and accountability while maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. Meaningful experience leading organizations through cultural or operational transformation with both decisiveness and compassion.
Comfort with Leading through Changing Times
Forward-looking orientation that honors institutional legacy while building the organization’s adaptive capacity and governance structures needed for long-term sustainability. Attuned to the evolving field for 21st-century museums. Experience leading an organization through sector-wide disruption, funding volatility, or significant leadership transition with steadiness and strategic clarity. Adaptability and creativity to work in ambiguous or changing conditions and with diverse individuals and groups.
Compensation and Benefits
The compensation range for this role is $400,000 – $450,000, commensurate with experience and accomplishments plus attractive benefits.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Naree W.S. Viner, Gerard Cattie, and Stephen Milbauer. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/23346. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
(To view the full profile, please download the PDF)
To apply, visit: https://www.dsgco.com/search/23346-national-museum-of-women-in-the-arts-executive-director/
je-065d49447b9d4bba9e764102ac8e93ac
- The Deadly Dancing Plague Of 1518
“Five centuries later, the dancing plague of 1518 remains one of history’s strangest medical mysteries. Historical records confirm that a bizarre episode turned a medieval city” — Strasbourg — “into a very unwilling dance floor that summer, but exactly why it happened remains a matter of debate.” – Popular Science
ISSUES
- Dealers Scramble To Get Work Out Of Art Basel Paris After Surprise Early Closing
Multiple dealers told ARTnews they’d received an email announcing the decision at around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. By then, many had already suspected Saturday’s opening might be canceled. The loss of Sunday came as more of a surprise. – ARTnews
- Man Arrested For Beheading Iwo Jima Memorial Statue At Quantico Marine Base
“Officers responding to a report of destruction of property at the Marine Corps Base Quantico around 10:31 p.m. saw a man ‘actively damaging the statue with a sledgehammer’ and detained him without incident, Prince William County police said.” – CNN
- Art Basel Paris Is Closing Early Because Of France’s Violent Demonstrations
The art fair had been schedule to run through the weekend, but organizers have decided to shut it down on Friday evening “in light of potential demonstrations across Paris this weekend, and in the interest of safeguarding our visitors.” – Artnet
- Kennicott: The New LACMA Is A Train Wreck
He has achieved what many curators, scholars and museum professionals dream of: A museum that decontextualizes art, mixes it all up in a giant cauldron of visual distraction and isolates it from history and culture. But why? How could this happen to one of the country’s great art collections? – Washington Post (MSN)
- Now Staff At All Four V&A Museums In London Will Strike
“Unionized staff across all four branches of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London announced their intention to strike on October 29 and 30, citing stalled negotiations and allegations of ‘Amazon-style’ working conditions at the newly-opened V&A East Storehouse.” – ARTnews
MEDIA
- “Why Satire Is No Laughing Matter”: An Essay By Sacha Baron Cohen
“Satire doesn’t just needle politicians or regimes — it occasionally helps bring them down. … Historian Ben Lewis credits Soviet joke-telling with helping to topple communism, by making it impossible for even the system’s own enforcers to take it seriously. … ‘Every joke,’ George Orwell observed, ‘is a tiny revolution.’” – Time
- This Year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Booted From The National Mall, Thrived On A Nine-Month U.S. Tour
“Clifford Murphy, the director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, which runs the festival, called it a ‘democratizing experience’ — one that added up to more than just making lemons into lemonade.” – The New York Times
- Colombia’s National Museum Is The First Casualty In The New President’s Culture War
Last week, Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right politician sworn in as President in August, declared a “cultural counterrevolution” and had dozens of artworks and historical objects removed from the Museo Nacional in Bogotá. In response, some 62,000 people demonstrated in the capital, arguing that the President’s action violates Colombia’s 1991 Constitution. – Artnet
- Hong Kong Overhauls Its System For Performing Arts Funding, And Groups Are Nervous
Since 2008, the territory’s government has funded nine designated major performing arts groups, including the Hong Kong Ballet, Philharmonic, and Repertory Theatre. The city’s chief executive has announced a planned change to a more flexible, “merit-based” system which would make room for more organizations. – South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
- San Francisco Has Not Paid Artists The City Grants They Were Awarded This Year
“In typical years, grant agreements are sent in early July, with artists getting money in hand within four weeks. As of October, multiple artists still haven’t received a dime, and at least two received their grant agreements only after the Chronicle wrote the commission to ask about the delay.” – San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
MUSIC
- Chatbots May Be Bad Writers. But So Are Most Humans
After all, we’ve been producing particle board for a long time. As Orwell observed (in pre-chatbot 1946!), “prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated hen-house.” – The Walrus
- How Politics Has Hollowed Out Scientific American, The Oldest Magazine In The US
“Interviews conducted this summer and fall with a over a dozen current and former Scientific American employees depict a magazine that, especially over the past two years, has struggled to protect its editorial independence in the face of sometimes overwhelming pressure from its corporate ownership.” – The Nation
- Hundreds Of Authors Skip Class Action Case And Sue Meta/Facebook Individually
“Nearly 300 authors filed (separate) copyright infringement claims against Meta Platforms on October 19 in (Federal court in San Francisco), alleging the company trained its AI models on pirated copies of their books and, more recently, on physical books it bought and scanned without a license.” – Publishers Weekly
- Publisher Cuts Ties With Author Thélyson Orélien Over Alleged AI Use In His Hit Novel
“Orélien has denied allegations that he used AI on his breakthrough novel (C’était ça ou mourir) and, last week, Canadian publisher Les Éditions du Boréal said it was standing by the 38-year-old writer. But on Wednesday, Boréal said it had conducted a further investigation” and concluded that Thélyson did use AI. – The Guardian
- Will Wikipedia Survive AI?
It was neither the first online encyclopedia—Britannica had a web presence by 1999—nor even the first that users could edit. Rather, its vitality arose from the community of obsessives whom it attracted, and its decline has coincided with the market’s capture of their creativity. – The New Yorker
PEOPLE
- Art Basel Paris Closes Two Days Early
This Week’s Highlights:
Art students blocked the Louvre’s glass pyramid on Monday and closed the museum, two days after a nationwide protest over public schools ended in about 2,400 arrests and a burned town hall in Limoges (ARTnews). By Thursday, Art Basel Paris had cut its run to end Friday at 7 p.m. instead of Sunday, leaving dealers to rebook shippers (ARTnews).
The Phoenix Symphony suspended its season after November 1 and is laying off 66 musicians, though revenue rose more than 50% between fiscal 2024 and 2026 (FOX 10 Phoenix). The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts closed a campaign at $344 million against a $330 million goal, including a $55 million anonymous gift (The Philadelphia Inquirer). In April a jury found Live Nation illegally monopolized live events (Los Angeles Times).
Three French entrepreneurs launched the Prix Pascal for novels co-written with AI, the day Quebec publisher Boréal confirmed that Thélyson Orélien’s Fnac-prize-winning novel was (CP24).
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
- Donald Borror shares the transformative impact of Pasculano Dance at Lincoln Center
Donald Borror, Director of the Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance at Lincoln Center, shares their transformative impact on the field.
- A New Shanghai Landmark for Opera
Good Morning,
Snøhetta, the Oslo architecture firm, opened the Shanghai Grand Opera House on October 17 with a double-helix staircase on the Huangpu River that passersby can climb whether or not they have a seat inside (Architectural Digest).
Buddy Brundo, 83, is asking $15 million for Conway Recording Studios, the Melrose Avenue complex where Fleetwood Mac and Kendrick Lamar recorded (Los Angeles Times). Will a judge break up Live Nation? Hundreds of independent venues around America have closed as Live Nation tightened its grip on the concert business. The judge who could break up the company hasn’t ruled on its bid to overturn April’s verdict (Los Angeles Times).
Art Basel Paris closed Friday night, two days early, ahead of planned weekend protests in the city, and a Vienna dealer says that participating galleries will lose the weekend collectors who work during the week (ARTnews).
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s funding campaign closed at $344 million against a $330 million goal, with 13,000 donors new to the orchestra or the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia Inquirer). David Cohen is now adding $10.5 million with his wife, Rhonda, calling arts organizations “a little under-appreciated” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
In July 1518 a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing in a Strasbourg street and didn’t stop; by late August as many as 400 people had joined her. City officials cleared the grain market, built a stage and hired musicians, then reversed course and banned dancing, a sequence the historian John Waller tells Popular Science did real harm.
All of the stories we collected are below.
- Executive Director, National Museum of Women in the Arts
Founded by collector and philanthropist Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) holds a singular place in the cultural landscape as the world’s first institution solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. Located in Washington, DC, the museum opened its doors in 1987, bringing recognition to the achievements of women artists across all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching their work, and educating the public about their enduring contributions. Its mission is both focused and expansive: to address the persistent gender imbalance in the presentation of art by illuminating important women artists of the past while actively promoting the great women artists working today.
NMWA operates from the conviction that an art museum can be a force for social change: a place where women’s voices are heard and diverse stories are told through exhibitions and programs designed to inspire dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. Its core values, Champion, Open, and Fresh, shape everything from curatorial choices to community engagement, reflecting an organizational culture that prizes both advocacy and accessibility.
The museum is headquartered in an iconic Washington, DC building that recently underwent a sweeping $70 million renovation. With a staff of 102 (70 full-time and 32 part-time) and a FY27 operating budget of approximately $20.5 million, NMWA operates at meaningful institutional scale, supported by an endowment of approximately $76 million, with a $25 million Cornerstone Fund dedicated to the building. Approximately 60 percent of operating revenue is derived from contributed support, reflecting the museum’s deep reliance on philanthropic relationships.
NMWA’s collection spans the sixteenth century to the present, and its exhibitions and programs reach audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. The museum invests significantly in digital engagement and is actively exploring how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can elevate its profile and deepen its reach.
The museum is approaching a significant milestone: its 40th anniversary in 2027. The planned retirement of longtime Director Susan Fisher Sterling, appointed in 2008 after joining the museum in 1988, opens a new chapter for an institution that has never been more prepared to pursue its founding vision at scale. In a moment when questions of representation and equity are reshaping the arts world, NMWA has been asking and acting on these questions for nearly four decades.
Learn more about NMWA at http://nmwa.org/.
The Opportunity
The National Museum of Women in the Arts seeks a bold, relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Executive Director at a pivotal moment in the institution’s history. As NMWA approaches its 40th anniversary and embarks on its next chapter, the Executive Director will serve as the museum’s chief executive and primary fundraiser, upholding the museum’s mission and securing the philanthropic partnerships necessary to sustain and expand its impact.
The Executive Director will provide the strategic vision and operational authority to position NMWA as an essential voice in national and global conversations about women, art, and culture. Leading a staff of 102 and overseeing a $20.5 million annual budget, this leader will drive programmatic excellence, promote digital innovation, and serve as the museum’s primary public ambassador, inspiring diverse audiences and elevating NMWA’s reputation across media, government, and civic platforms.
The Executive Director will partner closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure trustees are active advocates, connectors, and donors, and will leverage NMWA’s distinctive infrastructure of state and international committees to build new constituencies and deepen existing ones. They will personally cultivate and close major gifts, and build a culture of philanthropy across the institution, engaging individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government funders alike.
The ideal candidate brings proven executive leadership in a museum or comparable cultural institution, demonstrated success as a frontline fundraiser, and deep passion for gender equity and the arts. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the most distinctive and mission-driven institutions in the American cultural landscape.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional skills and qualities, and personal attributes.
Top candidates will have at least ten years of success in senior leadership roles in a museum, cultural institution, or comparable organization. Deep passion for the arts, gender equity, and the mission of championing women artists globally. Advanced degree in art, art history, arts administration, or other relevant subject matter; our client is also open to candidates with equivalent professional experience in a nonprofit setting.
Strategic Vision and Mission Advancement
Our client seeks leaders with experience developing and executing a multi-year institutional strategic plan, with measurable outcomes and demonstrated board and staff buy-in. This executive will partner closely with the Board and team members to articulate a clear, differentiated organizational identity, successfully unifying internal and external stakeholders around a shared mission narrative. They should have the ability to develop and implement strategic plans to guide growth and development. Experience building high-profile partnerships and collaborations that elevate institutional visibility and deepen artist/community relationships.
Philanthropic Relationship Building and Leadership
Candidates should have exceptional relationship-building skills with the presence and credibility to engage and persuade major donors, board members, government officials, and media. Ideal candidates should be well-networked in relevant donor communities, with a personal track record of cultivating and closing six- and seven-figure gifts. Experience leading or playing a central role in a major capital or comprehensive campaign and an understanding of the long arc of arts philanthropy and donor relationships is desirable. Demonstrated ability to build a culture of philanthropy across an organization, engage volunteer networks as fundraising assets, and develop a sustainable pipeline. Success with personally cultivating and closing significant gifts, an understanding of the relational, non-transactional nature of arts philanthropy, and the credibility to lead significant capital campaign.
Board Partnership and Governance
Experience working in partnership with an engaged Board of Trustees and other key stakeholders. Prior success partnering effectively with complex boards and navigating governance dynamics with diplomacy while moving the institution forward. Track record of evolving a board toward higher engagement, clearer giving expectations, and stronger philanthropic participation. A trusted partner to board leadership across generations who understands and enforces the appropriate boundary between board oversight and staff operations.
Financial and Operational Leadership
Broad expertise in financial management for art museums and/or other relevant not-for-profit settings, with the ability to manage budgets, analyze financial data, and optimize resources for sustainable growth. We seek candidates who have served as effective stewards of complex nonprofit finances, including endowment management, and the discipline to reduce structural reliance on draw while growing earned and contributed revenue to achieve revenue diversification. Our client seeks a leader with a track record of implementing organizational accountability frameworks, including clear processes, defined roles and performance metrics, that translate strategy into execution. An executive who applies a data-driven approach to resource allocation and organizational design while promoting a positive organizational culture and enhancing staff morale.
Communications, Advocacy, and Innovation
Superior communication and public speaking skills, adept at storytelling, in order to serve as a passionate advocate and effective ambassador for the institution. A compelling, credible public voice, comfortable on national stages, in media, and in policy conversations; able to expand an institution’s relevance and presence. Track record of establishing or significantly improving internal communications infrastructure, ensuring staff alignment and engagement during periods of change. Experience defining and advancing a community and public relations agenda tied to an institutional mission and embracing innovative approaches to audience development. Comfort with digital technologies, participatory platforms, and engagement strategies, with an interest in the possibilities for integration of digital and AI tools to effectively interact, build relationships and expand audiences, and drive meaningful internal and external outcomes.
Team Leadership
History of inspiring and motivating a team, setting clear goals, and making informed decisions. A people-first leader known for warmth, approachability, and high emotional intelligence, who builds trust with mission-driven staff navigating organizational transitions. A collaborative leader who empowers senior leaders with clear authority and accountability while maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. Meaningful experience leading organizations through cultural or operational transformation with both decisiveness and compassion.
Comfort with Leading through Changing Times
Forward-looking orientation that honors institutional legacy while building the organization’s adaptive capacity and governance structures needed for long-term sustainability. Attuned to the evolving field for 21st-century museums. Experience leading an organization through sector-wide disruption, funding volatility, or significant leadership transition with steadiness and strategic clarity. Adaptability and creativity to work in ambiguous or changing conditions and with diverse individuals and groups.
Compensation and Benefits
The compensation range for this role is $400,000 – $450,000, commensurate with experience and accomplishments plus attractive benefits.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Naree W.S. Viner, Gerard Cattie, and Stephen Milbauer. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/23346. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
(To view the full profile, please download the PDF)
To apply, visit: https://www.dsgco.com/search/23346-national-museum-of-women-in-the-arts-executive-director/
je-065d49447b9d4bba9e764102ac8e93ac
- The Deadly Dancing Plague Of 1518
“Five centuries later, the dancing plague of 1518 remains one of history’s strangest medical mysteries. Historical records confirm that a bizarre episode turned a medieval city” — Strasbourg — “into a very unwilling dance floor that summer, but exactly why it happened remains a matter of debate.” – Popular Science
PEOPLE
- Art Basel Paris Closes Two Days Early
This Week’s Highlights:
Art students blocked the Louvre’s glass pyramid on Monday and closed the museum, two days after a nationwide protest over public schools ended in about 2,400 arrests and a burned town hall in Limoges (ARTnews). By Thursday, Art Basel Paris had cut its run to end Friday at 7 p.m. instead of Sunday, leaving dealers to rebook shippers (ARTnews).
The Phoenix Symphony suspended its season after November 1 and is laying off 66 musicians, though revenue rose more than 50% between fiscal 2024 and 2026 (FOX 10 Phoenix). The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts closed a campaign at $344 million against a $330 million goal, including a $55 million anonymous gift (The Philadelphia Inquirer). In April a jury found Live Nation illegally monopolized live events (Los Angeles Times).
Three French entrepreneurs launched the Prix Pascal for novels co-written with AI, the day Quebec publisher Boréal confirmed that Thélyson Orélien’s Fnac-prize-winning novel was (CP24).
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
- Donald Borror shares the transformative impact of Pasculano Dance at Lincoln Center
Donald Borror, Director of the Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance at Lincoln Center, shares their transformative impact on the field.
- A New Shanghai Landmark for Opera
Good Morning,
Snøhetta, the Oslo architecture firm, opened the Shanghai Grand Opera House on October 17 with a double-helix staircase on the Huangpu River that passersby can climb whether or not they have a seat inside (Architectural Digest).
Buddy Brundo, 83, is asking $15 million for Conway Recording Studios, the Melrose Avenue complex where Fleetwood Mac and Kendrick Lamar recorded (Los Angeles Times). Will a judge break up Live Nation? Hundreds of independent venues around America have closed as Live Nation tightened its grip on the concert business. The judge who could break up the company hasn’t ruled on its bid to overturn April’s verdict (Los Angeles Times).
Art Basel Paris closed Friday night, two days early, ahead of planned weekend protests in the city, and a Vienna dealer says that participating galleries will lose the weekend collectors who work during the week (ARTnews).
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s funding campaign closed at $344 million against a $330 million goal, with 13,000 donors new to the orchestra or the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia Inquirer). David Cohen is now adding $10.5 million with his wife, Rhonda, calling arts organizations “a little under-appreciated” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
In July 1518 a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing in a Strasbourg street and didn’t stop; by late August as many as 400 people had joined her. City officials cleared the grain market, built a stage and hired musicians, then reversed course and banned dancing, a sequence the historian John Waller tells Popular Science did real harm.
All of the stories we collected are below.
- Executive Director, National Museum of Women in the Arts
Founded by collector and philanthropist Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) holds a singular place in the cultural landscape as the world’s first institution solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. Located in Washington, DC, the museum opened its doors in 1987, bringing recognition to the achievements of women artists across all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching their work, and educating the public about their enduring contributions. Its mission is both focused and expansive: to address the persistent gender imbalance in the presentation of art by illuminating important women artists of the past while actively promoting the great women artists working today.
NMWA operates from the conviction that an art museum can be a force for social change: a place where women’s voices are heard and diverse stories are told through exhibitions and programs designed to inspire dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. Its core values, Champion, Open, and Fresh, shape everything from curatorial choices to community engagement, reflecting an organizational culture that prizes both advocacy and accessibility.
The museum is headquartered in an iconic Washington, DC building that recently underwent a sweeping $70 million renovation. With a staff of 102 (70 full-time and 32 part-time) and a FY27 operating budget of approximately $20.5 million, NMWA operates at meaningful institutional scale, supported by an endowment of approximately $76 million, with a $25 million Cornerstone Fund dedicated to the building. Approximately 60 percent of operating revenue is derived from contributed support, reflecting the museum’s deep reliance on philanthropic relationships.
NMWA’s collection spans the sixteenth century to the present, and its exhibitions and programs reach audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. The museum invests significantly in digital engagement and is actively exploring how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can elevate its profile and deepen its reach.
The museum is approaching a significant milestone: its 40th anniversary in 2027. The planned retirement of longtime Director Susan Fisher Sterling, appointed in 2008 after joining the museum in 1988, opens a new chapter for an institution that has never been more prepared to pursue its founding vision at scale. In a moment when questions of representation and equity are reshaping the arts world, NMWA has been asking and acting on these questions for nearly four decades.
Learn more about NMWA at http://nmwa.org/.
The Opportunity
The National Museum of Women in the Arts seeks a bold, relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Executive Director at a pivotal moment in the institution’s history. As NMWA approaches its 40th anniversary and embarks on its next chapter, the Executive Director will serve as the museum’s chief executive and primary fundraiser, upholding the museum’s mission and securing the philanthropic partnerships necessary to sustain and expand its impact.
The Executive Director will provide the strategic vision and operational authority to position NMWA as an essential voice in national and global conversations about women, art, and culture. Leading a staff of 102 and overseeing a $20.5 million annual budget, this leader will drive programmatic excellence, promote digital innovation, and serve as the museum’s primary public ambassador, inspiring diverse audiences and elevating NMWA’s reputation across media, government, and civic platforms.
The Executive Director will partner closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure trustees are active advocates, connectors, and donors, and will leverage NMWA’s distinctive infrastructure of state and international committees to build new constituencies and deepen existing ones. They will personally cultivate and close major gifts, and build a culture of philanthropy across the institution, engaging individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government funders alike.
The ideal candidate brings proven executive leadership in a museum or comparable cultural institution, demonstrated success as a frontline fundraiser, and deep passion for gender equity and the arts. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the most distinctive and mission-driven institutions in the American cultural landscape.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional skills and qualities, and personal attributes.
Top candidates will have at least ten years of success in senior leadership roles in a museum, cultural institution, or comparable organization. Deep passion for the arts, gender equity, and the mission of championing women artists globally. Advanced degree in art, art history, arts administration, or other relevant subject matter; our client is also open to candidates with equivalent professional experience in a nonprofit setting.
Strategic Vision and Mission Advancement
Our client seeks leaders with experience developing and executing a multi-year institutional strategic plan, with measurable outcomes and demonstrated board and staff buy-in. This executive will partner closely with the Board and team members to articulate a clear, differentiated organizational identity, successfully unifying internal and external stakeholders around a shared mission narrative. They should have the ability to develop and implement strategic plans to guide growth and development. Experience building high-profile partnerships and collaborations that elevate institutional visibility and deepen artist/community relationships.
Philanthropic Relationship Building and Leadership
Candidates should have exceptional relationship-building skills with the presence and credibility to engage and persuade major donors, board members, government officials, and media. Ideal candidates should be well-networked in relevant donor communities, with a personal track record of cultivating and closing six- and seven-figure gifts. Experience leading or playing a central role in a major capital or comprehensive campaign and an understanding of the long arc of arts philanthropy and donor relationships is desirable. Demonstrated ability to build a culture of philanthropy across an organization, engage volunteer networks as fundraising assets, and develop a sustainable pipeline. Success with personally cultivating and closing significant gifts, an understanding of the relational, non-transactional nature of arts philanthropy, and the credibility to lead significant capital campaign.
Board Partnership and Governance
Experience working in partnership with an engaged Board of Trustees and other key stakeholders. Prior success partnering effectively with complex boards and navigating governance dynamics with diplomacy while moving the institution forward. Track record of evolving a board toward higher engagement, clearer giving expectations, and stronger philanthropic participation. A trusted partner to board leadership across generations who understands and enforces the appropriate boundary between board oversight and staff operations.
Financial and Operational Leadership
Broad expertise in financial management for art museums and/or other relevant not-for-profit settings, with the ability to manage budgets, analyze financial data, and optimize resources for sustainable growth. We seek candidates who have served as effective stewards of complex nonprofit finances, including endowment management, and the discipline to reduce structural reliance on draw while growing earned and contributed revenue to achieve revenue diversification. Our client seeks a leader with a track record of implementing organizational accountability frameworks, including clear processes, defined roles and performance metrics, that translate strategy into execution. An executive who applies a data-driven approach to resource allocation and organizational design while promoting a positive organizational culture and enhancing staff morale.
Communications, Advocacy, and Innovation
Superior communication and public speaking skills, adept at storytelling, in order to serve as a passionate advocate and effective ambassador for the institution. A compelling, credible public voice, comfortable on national stages, in media, and in policy conversations; able to expand an institution’s relevance and presence. Track record of establishing or significantly improving internal communications infrastructure, ensuring staff alignment and engagement during periods of change. Experience defining and advancing a community and public relations agenda tied to an institutional mission and embracing innovative approaches to audience development. Comfort with digital technologies, participatory platforms, and engagement strategies, with an interest in the possibilities for integration of digital and AI tools to effectively interact, build relationships and expand audiences, and drive meaningful internal and external outcomes.
Team Leadership
History of inspiring and motivating a team, setting clear goals, and making informed decisions. A people-first leader known for warmth, approachability, and high emotional intelligence, who builds trust with mission-driven staff navigating organizational transitions. A collaborative leader who empowers senior leaders with clear authority and accountability while maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. Meaningful experience leading organizations through cultural or operational transformation with both decisiveness and compassion.
Comfort with Leading through Changing Times
Forward-looking orientation that honors institutional legacy while building the organization’s adaptive capacity and governance structures needed for long-term sustainability. Attuned to the evolving field for 21st-century museums. Experience leading an organization through sector-wide disruption, funding volatility, or significant leadership transition with steadiness and strategic clarity. Adaptability and creativity to work in ambiguous or changing conditions and with diverse individuals and groups.
Compensation and Benefits
The compensation range for this role is $400,000 – $450,000, commensurate with experience and accomplishments plus attractive benefits.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Naree W.S. Viner, Gerard Cattie, and Stephen Milbauer. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/23346. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
(To view the full profile, please download the PDF)
To apply, visit: https://www.dsgco.com/search/23346-national-museum-of-women-in-the-arts-executive-director/
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