THOMAS H. WOODWARD JOINS CLARK ART INSTITUTE AS CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

January 25, 2017
[Digital image available upon request]

Williamstown, Massachusetts–-The Clark Art Institute has named Thomas H. Woodward to serve as Chief Advancement Officer, leading the Clark’s philanthropy and membership programs. Woodward comes to the Clark from the Harvard Art Museums, where he currently serves as Director of Institutional Advancement. He assumes his new role on March 1, 2018.

“We are so pleased to have Tom join our staff in a key leadership position at this exciting moment in the Clark’s life,” said Olivier Meslay, Felda and Dena Hardymon Director of the Clark. “He brings tremendous energy and experience to the work, but more importantly, he shares our passion for the vital role the arts can play in educating, enlightening, and enriching the lives of individuals and the life of its communities. We look forward to imagining the next chapter of the Clark’s future with him as we work to further the Institute’s mission regionally, nationally, and internationally.”

Woodward is a seasoned fundraising professional, bringing more than twenty years of experience in strategic planning and advancement for museums, higher education, and the federal government to his new role at the Clark.

“I am thrilled and honored at the prospect of joining the Clark Art Institute at this moment,” said Woodward. “The Clark has been brilliantly reconceived to better serve visitors, scholars, and students alike. I look forward to working with the Trustees, the Institute’s leadership and talented staff, and its many partners in the arts community to help sustain this dynamic institution and its exciting exhibition, education, and research programs.”

He joined the Harvard Art Museums in August 2011, serving as the Director of Institutional Support for three years before assuming his current position in 2014. In leading institutional advancement activities, Woodward played a central role in strategic planning and leadership toward a comprehensive fundraising program for the museum. Prior to joining the Harvard Art Museums, Woodward was the Director of Development for the Harvard Divinity School, where he worked closely with senior administrators and faculty to plan and execute all development operations and shape its external relations programs.

Early in his career, Woodward joined the National Park Service, where he gained experience in cultural and natural resource management for historic sites and parks that included the Olmsted, Longfellow, and Kennedy National Historic Sites in Boston, the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation in Brookline, Massachusetts, and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock, Vermont.

Woodward’s affinity for the landscape and garden history community and the National Park Service is central to his personal interests, most notably through his involvement with the Friends of Fairsted, a group that advances the mission of the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts. He currently serves as the president of the board for the Friends and provides leadership for their various educational and outreach programs.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of more than 270,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; Museums for All; Bank of America Museums on Us; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

Press contact:
Victoria Saltzman
Director of Communications
Clark Art Institute
[email protected]
413 458 0421