The Evansville Museum’s board of directors on Thursday announced the hiring of Bryan W. Knicely to lead the facility.
Knicely will start in mid-October, ending a stretch of more than a year and a half that the museum has been without a permanent replacement for John Streetman, who stepped down in December 2012.
Knicely was most recently the executive director of the Coral Springs Museum of Art in Florida, where he received a nomination for the 2015 National Medal for Museum Service by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch.
Knicely, 45, is a native of Ohio and is the former president of the Stonewall National Museum & Archives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Before that, he developed strategic grants and proposals for exhibitions at Nova Southeastern University’s Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale.
Mary Bower, the museum’s curator of collections for more than 35 years, served as interim director since Streetman vacated his position 2012 to become director emeritus of the museum of arts, history and science that he led since 1975.
“This is an exciting time for the museum,” board president Sharon Walker said. “After the successful completion of the capital campaign and building expansion, we are in a period of rapid growth and look to become the No. 1 cultural destination in the region.”
Walker said one of the most important things for the museum was to find someone who had held the “top job” and came to the museum with a “proven track record of success.” Another important factor were that the person have a strong passion and commitment to the arts. She said Knicely was the lead candidate and covered all of the elements that were important to the board.
Knicely said he’s excited to come to Evansville and be a part of such an “exceptional arts and cultural organization.” With the recent major renovation, the museum is an even better gem for the area, he said, and he’s honored to be selected to bring the museum even further and continue to make it thrive.
“When I found out about the position it rang all the bells on my list,” Knicely said. “It seemed like a win-win for me and the community to continue to build partnerships across the arts, history and science. And being from the Midwest, this is a sort of homecoming for me. I like the Midwest, and I know the people in Evansville are committed to the organization. That drew me to the posting.”
Knicely said his passions include traveling, collecting art and volunteering and investing in the community.
“I think it is important to have a sense of place and to get involved,” Knicely said. “Being a good citizen and involved in the community is important in addition to my work for the museum.”
Walker said this is an important time in the museum’s history.
“Going through the capital campaign and our expansion and renovation of our facility has put our physical plant in good shape,” she said. “What we are looking for now is to enhance our program offerings and our educational experiences and make it a place where people want to come to frequently.”
Knicely said he wants to expand and improve the museum’s programming to meet the needs of the community.
“This is a cultural gem of the Tri-State ... and I want to figure out how to use that to its full potential,” he said.