Honolulu Academy Of Arts Appoints New Director

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Honolulu Academy Of Arts Appoints New Director
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 January 19, 2011

 Media contacts:

 Lesa Griffith 808-532-8712
Sabrina Velazquez
808-532-8727

HONOLULU ACADEMY OF ARTS  APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR

Stephan Jost, former director of Vermont’s Shelburne Museum, assumes new position May 2.

HONOLULU, HAWAII—Stephan Jost, who has led Vermont’s Shelburne Museum for the past five years, will be the new director of the Honolulu Academy of Arts beginning May 2.

“Stephan Jost’s accomplishments and past experience make him an ideal director to lead the Honolulu Academy of Arts,” says Lynne Johnson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Acting Director since March 2010. “From understanding the needs of a museum that serves a highly regional audience as well as acts as an important tourist destination, to having a strong fundraising track record, to having a deep knowledge of art history and a passion for contemporary art, Stephan is poised to successfully steer Honolulu’s art museum into the future.”

The Shelburne Museum, like the Honolulu Academy of Arts, is the state’s primary art museum. In his five years there, Jost’s contributions have been many. Under his watch educational programs that serve tens of thousands of adults and children each year were revitalized and expanded. This included the addition of evening hours, summer camps, garden walks, expanded family programs and Passport to Learning, an innovative K-8 curriculum.

A focus on producing world-class art exhibitions resulted in shows of major artists including Mary Cassatt and Ansel Adams along with a seminal exhibition on Shaker furniture design and a popular motorcycle show. In addition, Jost oversaw renovations and reinstallations of museum buildings, and an initiative to beautify the museum’s 45-acre grounds by expanding the number of gardens throughout the campus.

“I look forward to working with a talented staff, a world-class art collection and fine education program to present innovative art programming to the diverse community of Hawai‘i,” says Jost. “The Academy has a bright future, and its strong group of supporters will ensure that the museum remains a cultural highlight of Honolulu.”

Before joining the Shelburne Museum Jost was director of the Mills College Art Museum in Oakland, California, which he reinvigorated as a cultural center for the college and the wider community—attendance increased 50 percent during his first year there.

While in Oakland, Jost developed a concerted community outreach effort that included a new grant-funded position for outreach and new evening hours to attract working families and students. He led a consortium of three museums to host a major exhibition of African-American photography from the Smithsonian, and also pursued contemporary art to enable the museum to carve a relevant yet affordable niche in a competitive area. Jost visited more than 200 artist studios—including many in Europe, India, Japan and Korea—resulting in nationally reviewed exhibitions.

Perhaps most indicative of Jost’s talents for generating critical attention is his commitment to fostering an ongoing dialogue between the artist community and the public. At Mills, Jost devoted a small gallery to exhibitions that he rotated every two weeks—all curated for less than $200 per show. “This approach allowed us to integrate different communities into the museum,” says Jost.

Originally from Michigan, Jost, 41, has a BA in art history from Hampshire College in Massachusetts and an MA in art history, specializing in the history of photography, from the University of Texas at Austin.

The appointment follows a six-month search by the New York-based firm Phillips Oppenheim and an Academy search committee.

A high-res image is available on request.

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Honolulu Academy Of Arts Appoints New Director

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