Blanton Update
Blanton Museum announces three new hires with impressive pedigrees
Ray Williams
Francesca Consagra
Colette Crossman
When Simone Wicha assumed the directorship of The Blanton Museum of Art last year, one of her primary duties was filling some key positions in the organization. Three of those positions were announced Thursday in a press release from the Museum, demonstrating Wicha's confident decision making and commitment to excellence once again.
First up, Ray Williams, formerly of the Harvard Art Museums, takes over as the Director of Education and Academic Affairs at The Blanton on June 18. His resume also includes time at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, the Peabody Essex Museum, and the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries. After spending time both inside and outside of the academic world, Williams is uniquely qualified to provide useful and interesting application to the University of Texas community in upcoming academic programs.
Francesca Consagra has also been hired as the new Senior Curator of Prints, Drawings and European Paintings, beginning June 25. It may seem strange to those unfamiliar with the vast collection of The Blanton that curator positions at the museum are this specialized. However, understanding The Blanton's renown in each of these areas more than justifies the necessity for this specificity. Consagra is formerly the Senior Curator of The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts where she oversaw exhibitions on Rembrandt's prints, botanical illustrations, Indian and Buddhist art and contemporary German drawing.
"Ray and Francesca are widely recognized as among the very best in their fields nationally, and we are tremendously thrilled that they are bringing their distinctive talents and depth of experience to The Blanton team," said Wicha in a press statement. "These exciting new appointments are an important step in further distinguishing The Blanton as a center for innovation and excellence in the arts."
Finally, current Administrator of Art & Programs at The Blanton, Colette Crossman, will be promoted to Curator of Exhibitions at the museum at the beginning of next month. In this new role, she will be responsible for all of the detail work involved with planning and producing exhibitions, working closely with Wicha and curators like Consagra to make sure exhibitions match the museum's brand and mission. She will also be in charge of managing all of The Blanton's exciting touring exhibitions that are hosted in the museum each year.
When we spoke with her upon her first few weeks of assuming the directorship, Wicha expressed, "The exciting thing for me is building a new team. I'm fascinated by what other people think and have to say, and I love to learn from them." With these new hires, the museum on campus continues to provide her with a quality education.
