GLENBOW NAMES CEO
‘New era’ at hand, museum says
The Glenbow Museum has a new CEO and president.
Nicholas R. Bell was announced as the museum’s next leader in a news release Tuesday.
He will leave his role as the senior vice-president for curatorial affairs at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut to join the Glenbow.
“When I looked to the proud history of Glenbow and understood what is being done to continue and evolve that legacy, I was immediately captivated,” said Bell in the release.
“Our focus will be to share stories and collections in ways that provide inspiration to Calgarians and visitors from around the world.
“We are also committed to reintroducing Glenbow to Canada, with the calibre of building worthy of this city’s potential on the national arts and culture scene,” he added.
The Glenbow is “focused on a full transformation of its building and exhibit spaces,” according to the news release.
Bell, from Vancouver, was previously the Fleur and Charles Bresler curator-in-charge of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery.
He is also the author and editor of 10 books on art, museums and contemporary culture.
Bell replaces Donna Livingstone, who left the Glenbow to join the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies as its CEO in June.
Livingstone first took over the Glenbow as interim president in 2012 after Kristin Evenden resigned. Livingstone took over the Glenbow when it was dealing with several years of deficits in a row and left with the museum with a revenue surplus in 2018.
“Nicholas will lead Glenbow into a new era,” Irfhan Rawji, chair of the Glenbow board of directors, said in the news release.
“Over the past several years we have focused on comprehensive institutional change, and Nicholas will continue to guide us on that journey.”
Bell takes over on Nov. 1.