As it continues a search for a new director, the Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State has announced an interim management structure.
An extensive job description has been posted online, with qualified applicants encouraged to submit a letter of interest, resume and references by Sept. 1 through the college website. The next leader will replace Anthony Bannon, who announced in February he would step down from the position on June 30.
While the search continues, Chief Operating Officer Carolyn Morris-Hunt and Scott Propeack, associate director/chief curator, will share leadership duties at the nonprofit art center.
Morris-Hunt has served as COO since 2009, following after a decade-long career at Buffalo State. She oversees the administration, finance and operations departments. Propeack joined Burchfield Penney in 1999 became associate director/chief curator in 2010. He oversees the collections and exhibitions program. They will report to Carol Kociela, board chairwoman, and Melanie Perreault, college provost and vice president for academic affairs, which regained oversight for the facility this summer.
First established in 1966 within the college campus, the Burchfield-Penney moved to a $36 million freestanding facility on campus in 2008, featuring 84,000 square feet of gallery, program and education space. The independent nonprofit center, with an operating budget of about $3.5 million, is dedicated to the art of American watercolorist Charles Burchfield (1893–1967) and other Western New York artists.
According to the job description, the new leader will manage a staff of 26 and more than 50 volunteers. The candidate will be expected to work with peer institutions to develop and implement programming and initiatives to enhance an arts mission for both the center and community; identify ways to expand and deepen the Burchfield Penney’s connection to regional and national constituencies while building on current outreach efforts; and become an active and visible participant in Western New York’s life and culture.
The hiring process will be managed through the college's employment site.