Current Opportunities

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ByalaSearch LLC is pleased to announce that our firm has been retained by the Katonah
Museum of Art to identify candidates for the position of Executive Director.
Established in 1953, the Katonah Museum of Art is a non-collecting institution accredited
by the American Alliance of Museums. Dedicated to the promotion and understanding of
visual art and cultural heritage through exhibitions and education programs, the KMA is
committed to presenting exceptional art from all cultures and time periods, ancient to
contemporary.
The KMA mounts three to four exhibitions annually, covering a broad range of art and
humanities while responding to the most critical issues of our time through a bold and
vigorous lens.
The institution offers lectures, films, workshops, concerts, and other events for a general
audience; and presents innovative and substantive programs for over 100 member schools.
The KMA Learning Center is the only interactive space in Westchester County where
children can come on a daily basis to explore and create art.
Designed by eminent Modernist architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, the intimate museum
building is nestled in the surrounding landscape, inviting light and natural beauty to its
atrium and galleries. It perfectly ascribes to Barnes’ ideals of simplicity and functionality.
The Katonah Museum of Art serves as a welcoming and anchoring cultural institution
within its local community, for all ages and backgrounds, as well as for frequent visitors
from New York City, Westchester County, and the Tri-State Area.
The Katonah Museum of Art seeks a visionary Executive Director with experience and
standing in the museum and cultural worlds and a track record demonstrating excellence in
leading exhibition, community, and educational programming, who can envision and
realize the KMA’s next chapter.
The Executive Director will be a dynamic leader with a collaborative spirit who will work
closely with a dedicated Board and staff to realize the KMA’s distinctive role within the
community and the broader cultural landscape. To advance the Museum’s artistic vision,
the Executive Director will have the curatorial background to lead the KMA staff in
ABOUT THE KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART
PRIMARY FUNCTION
planning and presenting exhibitions and programs that inspire new learning and
engagement in the arts.
As the Museum’s principal spokesperson and advocate, both in the community and in the
institutional realm, the Executive Director will work with stakeholders at every level to
develop a creative strategic plan supported by partnerships with local, regional, and
national arts and cultural organizations, and with lenders from museum, gallery, and
private collections. The Executive Director will have a successful track record in
fundraising for operations, programming, and capital development, from both private and
public sources, as well as experience in recruiting, managing, and mentoring a diverse
professional team.
Specific Responsibilities in the following areas include but are not limited to:
LEADERSHIP AND VISION
 Working in consultation with the Board leadership, create a multi-year strategic
plan anchored by an ambitious curatorial program and a vision for development of
the unique assets of the Museum’s campus.
 Nurture a team of 11 full-time staff (with 5 direct reports) and 12 part-time staff as
well as volunteers committed to a shared vision for excellence in Curatorial and
Educational Programming, Community Engagement, Marketing and Development,
Finance, and Operations.
 Set organizational priorities and create a framework for accountability supported by
consistent messaging across all platforms, clearly articulating the mission of the
Katonah Museum of Art to all constituencies.
 Work closely with operations and finance staff to provide sound fiscal leadership
and fiduciary oversight, including management of the Museum’s nearly $2.0
million annual budget, maintenance of its architecturally distinctive campus, and
shepherding and growth of its $6.0 million endowment.
PROGRAMMING AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS
 Lead the KMA’s Curatorial and Program teams to build relationships and standing
within New York City, in the Tri-State region, and in the broader cultural world as
an active participant in the network of organizations planning and presenting
temporary exhibitions in all categories of art and material culture.
 Build a presence in the Katonah and Bedford communities to enable the
development of robust relationships with Museum visitors and patrons; artists,
collectors, and leaders of regional arts and cultural organizations; and town, county,
and state partners.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
 Cultivate partnerships with private lenders, galleries, museums, and cultural
institutions to build and execute exhibitions that promote the understanding of
material culture, past and present.
 Plan and lead the KMA’s fundraising strategy, working with its Development and
Marketing teams to sustain and grow support for exhibitions, programming, and
capital development from individual, corporate, foundation, and public sources.
Qualifications and Core Competencies
 An academic background in art history and/or the humanities, business
administration, museum management and/or other disciplines that qualify the
candidate to lead a museum embracing the KMA’s commitment to exhibition
planning, education, and community engagement with the arts; a graduate degree in
art history and/or business administration is preferred.
 A demonstrated capacity to lead, manage, and inspire, preferably with minimum of
five years' experience in a museum or comparable cultural institution; ability to hire,
retain, and mentor a diverse staff and to build a shared commitment to the KMA’s
central goals.
 A proven fundraiser with a meaningful track record in institutional advancement and
relationship building among a broad and diverse community of stakeholders.
 Possesses an understanding of the importance of digital technology and social media
as platforms for today’s museums, so as to maximize the KMA’s potential to
strengthen the visitor experience, enhance educational goals, and build marketing
potential.
Katonah
About 50 miles north of New York City, on the Metro North Harlem Line, the KMA is
located in Katonah, New York, a hamlet in the Town of Bedford with a rich historical past
and a vibrant present. Katonah is a walkable residential town with main street vitality, a
burgeoning gallery scene, and an abundance of community organized cultural
programming. It is also home to the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts and the John
Jay Homestead, and is positioned as a gateway to the Hudson Valley serving as an anchor
to the Tri-State arts region.
The Katonah Museum of Art is an equal opportunity employer and considers all candidates
for employment regardless of race, color, gender, age, national origin, creed, disability,
marital status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. Applications from BIPOC, persons
with disabilities, women, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented applicants are encouraged.
Kindly send nominations or expressions of interest to:
Lisa Byala
Principal
ByalaSearch LLC
kmaed@byalasearch.com
T: (212) 547–9536
www.byalasearch.com