Bruce Museum names new executive director
GREENWICH — A new executive director has been named to lead the Bruce Museum as it embarks on a huge expansion to more than double the size of the acclaimed Greenwich institution.
The museum’s Board of Trustees on Friday announced its appointment of Robert Wolterstorff as the new Susan E. Lynch executive director and chief executive officer. He will succeed Peter Sutton, who announced last fall he would retire after 18 years as the head of the museum.
“This is an opportunity to create a new museum,” Wolterstorff told Hearst Connecticut Media on Friday. “It has a great staff and a great board and a great director now, but the plans for its future are awesome.”
He comes to Greenwich after serving as executive director of the Bennington Museum in Vermont since 2012. His first day on the job at the Bruce will be June 1.
“It’s hard to leave the Bennington Museum, just when it is also on the verge of dramatic changes. But what draws me to the Bruce is the incredible and really unparalleled opportunity to create a new museum,” Wolterstorff said in a statement. “It’s not just the new building by an important national architect. It’s also the opportunity to be involved in forming significant new collections, a new attitude and new ways that the museum will connect with its community. That’s tremendously exciting, and that is what is bringing me here.”
He oversaw a series of changes at the Bennington Museum, including improvements to its gallery spaces and the creation of changing exhibitions that met with great acclaim. And now he will be at the helm during the vast expansion of the Bruce, which is owned by the town of Greenwich and operated independently.
Calling himself a “reluctant candidate” for the job, Wolterstorff was sold by the changes to come and said he was looking forward to the challenge.
In addition to his time in Vermont, he has held curatorial and research positions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Clark Art Institute and the Williams College Museum of Art.
The trustees praised Wolterstorff’s background as an architectural historian with “a passion for contemporary art and Victorian design.”
“We are fortunate to have someone with Robert’s experience and qualifications to step into the role as leader of the Bruce,” said Jan Rogers Kniffen, chair of the Board of Trustees. “The museum has embarked on its transformative, $60 million capital expansion and renovation project, which includes $15 million of added support to the museum’s endowment. Robert has a proven track record not only as the creator of innovative, cross-disciplinary exhibitions but also as a museum administrator capable of completing successful capital projects.”
The expansion plan calls for the Bruce Museum to more than double in size, from 30,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet. That will provide more space to display permanent and temporary collections of art, science and natural history exhibits and offer expanded opportunities for educational programs. An auditorium and a café will also be added.
In 1908, Robert Moffat Bruce deeded the property to the town with the stipulation it be used as a museum for natural history, history and art for the use and benefit of the public. The museum boasts more than 20,000 objects in its collection.
The museum broke ground on the multiphase project last summer, with the majority of the construction scheduled for this fall. The tentative completion date is 2021 for the multimilliondollar project.
“We believe Robert is the ideal person to help us achieve our long-held dream of a new Bruce for our members, the residents of Greenwich, and the greater community this museum has served since 1908,” said Patricia Chadwick, who was the head of the museum’s succession committee.
Sutton has overseen the planning and fundraising for the museum expansion as part of his nearly two decades of service to the Bruce.
“Peter Sutton has done incredible things during his 18 years here,” Kniffen said. “The exhibitions he created brought national attention to the museum, and he has positioned the museum for an exciting future. The board shares a genuine appreciation for his vision and leadership, and we wish Peter well as he transitions to his new role as director emeritus.”
In that role, Sutton is expected to help with the transition as Wolterstorff comes aboard.
“I look forward to working with Robert to introduce him to our talented staff and dynamic institution,” Sutton said.
At the Bruce, Wolterstorff said he wants to focus on how art connects to science and bring the two areas together in “surprising ways,” such as around the themes of the “science of creativity.”
He is also eager to get to know the staff, donors and collectors, as well as the Greenwich community.
“Community engagement is what it’s all about,” Wolterstorff said. “I’ve always felt that museums are not just about objects. It’s about people and creating amazing experiences.”