Results tagged “thomaskrens”

Earlier this year the Guggenheim's notoriously-hated director, Thomas Krens, announced his departure from the museum (which many blame him for turning into a McGuggenheim). The NY Times announces today that the Guggenheim is now ready to name Richard Armstrong as the next director, saying the final board meeting regarding the decision will be held on or before September 23rd.

The choice was considered a safe one after nearly 20 often tumultuous years of Mr. Krens’s maverick vision. In addition to being criticized for his globe-trotting ways, in which he created an array of satellite institutions, Mr. Krens was known for dipping into the museum’s endowment to cover operating costs and for mounting exhibitions from motorcycles to of-the-moment artists like Matthew Barney.

Armstrong resigned as director of the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh this past June and says that he wants “to celebrate New York in particular but not at the expense of all the others.”

The art world is breathing a sigh of relief today as the announcement of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation's director stepping down was announced. For many, Thomas Krens has been more of a dictator than director; with a focus on franchising a "McGuggenheim" business over exhibiting modern art or focusing on the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building itself.

The Guggenheim flagship -- one of New York's top tourist attractions -- was falling apart. (Its crumbling facade is currently undergoing renovation.) Krens wasted considerable time and money trying to get the city to accept a second Gehry Guggenheim in Manhattan when he failed in his attempt to attract either steady streams of visitors or compelling exhibitions to a SoHo branch. (The space is now a Prada store.)

While in charge, Krens did oversee many important exhibits, but for the most part he brought in blockbuster crowd-pleasers (tossing the museum's identity to the wayside). Consensus is that he simply overstayed his welcome (the Village Voice asked that he leave back in 2002). Last year when museum director Lisa Dennison left her position it became clear a suitable candidate wouldn't step in until Krens stepped down. The NY Times reports that "candidates who were informally approached were not shy about communicating that they would not work under Mr. Krens, who is known as a difficult personality."