Sue Graze, director of Arthouse since 1999 has resigned as Executive Director to become Director Emeritus. Graze has has shepherded the org through a name change, an ostentatious makeover, a staff purge that eliminated the org’s last curator, and an ugly controversy over improper use of art installations as event props. Graze will remain on at Arthouse a Director Emeritus, a position given her in gratitude for her service by the board.
Perhaps Arthouse’s ever-diminishing staff will smooth the talked-about merger between it and the Austin Museum of Art easier; AMOA is also directorless, since Dana Friis-Hansen’s resignation earlier this year to take a job in Grand Rapids, MI, a town he said is “building a better place for the creative class,” while “Texas is being led down a trail to no-know land by its leadership.” Why, with no directors or curators at all, the newly-combined Arthouse/AMOA’s sumptuous ipe-wood roof deck and cavernous upper gallery could simply be rented out for parties ALL the time!
4 comments
This is ridiculous! Why are people stepping down? People should be taking lead and responsibility for the tough decisions our institutions are facing.
Don’t be so trite to get excited about new party spaces, Bill. Austin has plenty of those. See this for the great opportunity that it presents. With the slate now clean, this is a great time to get fresh, experienced, enthusiastic directors and curators into these positions to fulfill the potential of these two great Austin institutions. I see it as a win-win for Austin art scene and Austin artists. The future looks bright!
um, Bill was not being serious in his last sentence.
[…] Bill Davenport of Glasstire mentioned in his article “Austin Art Implosion Continues: Arthouse Director Sue Graze Resigns as Executive Director to Assume Advisory Role,” I’m glad the Arthouse will retain the Director position. What we […]