{"id":574012,"date":"2023-11-29T14:00:37","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=574012"},"modified":"2023-12-18T10:07:01","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T15:07:01","slug":"sarah-jesse-named-eighth-memorial-art-gallery-director-574012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/sarah-jesse-named-eighth-memorial-art-gallery-director-574012\/","title":{"rendered":"Sarah Jesse named eighth Memorial Art Gallery director"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jesse brings to Rochester more than 20 years of experience working in art museums across the country.<\/h2>\n
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Sarah Jesse has been named the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the Memorial Art Gallery, effective February 26, 2024. (photo provided)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½<\/a> President Sarah Mangelsdorf and Memorial Art Gallery (MAG)<\/a> Board of Managers President Kathryn D\u2019Amanda announced today that Sarah Jesse, director of the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland, has been named the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the MAG, effective February 26, 2024. Jesse brings to Rochester more than 20 years of experience in American art museums, serving in leadership, fundraising, and educational and community programming roles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thrilled that Sarah Jesse will soon become our eighth museum director, which is a key leadership role that prominently serves both the University and the Rochester community,\u201d says Mangelsdorf. \u201cShe is an inspiring leader who uses the power of art to build strong community connections. She believes that art museums can play a significant part in many people\u2019s lives when the barriers to engagement are broken down, and that core belief is very exciting for us as we embark upon our Boundless Possibility strategic plan<\/a> that emphasizes furthering our commitment to the Rochester community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom our first meeting, we recognized Sarah Jesse as an inspiring, effective communicator, a flexible thinker and sensitive listener,\u201d says D\u2019Amanda. \u201cWe learned about her visitor-centered approach, as she passionately believes that art museums are places for everyone<\/em>. The depth of her experience, paired with a warm, authentic, and approachable presence are the makings of a visionary and collaborative leader\u2014not only by building on recent successes, but also in bringing a new level of energy, innovation, and engagement to us all. I could not be more excited for this next chapter in the life of MAG, the University, and indeed, the entire Rochester community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesse becomes the museum\u2019s eighth director and succeeds Jonathan Binstock, who left MAG in early 2023 to become director of the Phillips Collection<\/a> in Washington, DC. Michael Marsh, MAG\u2019s chief operating officer and deputy director, has been serving as interim director since January and will continue in that role until March. The Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director reports to the MAG\u2019s Board of Managers and works closely with them and staff to enhance and implement MAG\u2019s mission, to manage and augment its financial resources, and to develop and implement short- and long-term strategic and business plans. The director also collaborates closely with the University on all aspects of MAG\u2019s operations and is a department of the University reporting through the Office of the Provost.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah deeply appreciates the special role the MAG plays in the University and the Rochester community,\u201d says University Provost David Figlio. \u201cShe has brilliant insights about the MAG as a center of academic excellence that will simultaneously enhance the community and the University. Her museum acumen and community engagement experience are terrific assets for this role, and she brings an energy that promises to serve the University and the Rochester region very well. I am grateful to the search committee\u2019s work in identifying the strongest individual for this key leadership position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesse has served as director of the Academy Art Museum in Easton since 2021, overseeing a $1.7M operating budget, $7.4M endowment, $2.2M capital project, 24,000-square-foot building, and 1,700-object collection. She was previously deputy director, as well as interim director and CEO, of the Orange County Museum of Art. She also served as associate vice president of education at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where she oversaw intergenerational, youth, student, teacher, and community programs. As part of serving in these significant positions, Jesse has led multiple efforts focused on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI) in museums, building the sense of inclusivity among everyone in the community, particularly those who\u2019ve traditionally felt excluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven its resources, its collection spanning 5,000 years of human history, and the tradition of its university partnership, the Memorial Art Gallery has the power to change the lives of not only its visitors and students, but also of Rochester itself, and I am truly excited to be a part of that work,\u201d says Jesse. \u201cAt their best, museums contribute not just to the lives of individuals, but also to what makes cities vibrant and desirable to live in. I\u2019ve been fortunate throughout my career to work at several art museums that have elevated their communities at large in many ways. As both a civic and academic institution, the Memorial Art Gallery serves two audiences, but its dual responsibility is complementary and, to my mind, provides infinite opportunities for this kind of community engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesse also served as the Bernsen Director of Education and Public Programs at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the assistant director of public programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.<\/p>\n

She was chair of the Education Committee of the American Alliance of Museums from 2014 to 2016 and has presented on best practices for the museum education field in the United States, China, and Italy. Jesse received a bachelor\u2019s degree in art history from Oberlin College and a master\u2019s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Chicago.<\/p>\n

The MAG director search committee comprised:<\/p>\n