2015 has been a wonderful year, and we’re grateful for the support from our members, donors, volunteers, board members, and corporate partners—a community coming together to make the arts in Charleston shine. We asked the Gibbes Staff to share some of their resolutions for the Museum in the New Year. We’re calling 2016 “The Year of the Gibbes,” with so much in store as the Museum plans to reopen its doors this spring. We cannot wait to invite you into the newly renovated building to view the reinstalled collection and special exhibitions, and to participate in our roster of exciting programs and events. Wishing you a Happy New Year full of creativity and inspiration!
—The Gibbes Staff
Erin Banks, Creative Director
–Establish a new Gibbes logo with the help of Gil Shuler Design.
–Launch a new Gibbes website, created by Blue Ion.
–Gather new exhibition images to use in our print materials!
Rebecca Sailor, Curator of Education
–Enjoy good food and drink at the new Museum Café.
–Reopen the Museum with exhibitions, programs, and events that excite the Charleston community and visitors alike.
–Have a successful six weeks of Summer Art Camp for the first time ever in the building.
Becca Hiester, Curatorial Assistant
–Bring all of my friends in town on a tour of the museum, my own personal Museum Hack. Some of my friends have never been to the museum before (even if they grew up here!), and I need to spread the love!
Jennifer Ross, Director of Development
–First and foremost, achieve our goal of $13.4M for the capital campaign to renovate and restore the Gibbes.
–Welcome back our community—both visitors and long-time supporters—to the Gibbes, the oldest museum building in the south, this coming spring.
–Engage visitors in our center of creativity with world-class exhibitions, lectures and programs.
Lasley Steever, Director of Programs and Events
–Establish an Artist-in-Residence program with outstanding contemporary artists whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South.
–Provide great programs allowing visitors to fully engage with the visual arts through lectures, performances, tours, and classes.
Jena Clem, Special Events Manager
–Have the museum booked with private events every weekend when we reopen.
–Grow our staff to support the increased programming and events we’ll be offering.
–Be featured as the number one event venue in Charleston, South Carolina/Southeast.
Zinnia Willits, Director of Collections Administration
–Execute safe return of 10,000 pieces of art from off-site storage locations to the renovated Museum spaces.
–Harmoniously work with Museum staff and contract crews to unpack the art collection and reinstall in new galleries in an extremely tight time frame.
–Remain calm, cool and collected over the next few months in order to successfully manage all that needs to be managed to reopen of the Gibbes! Eat fewer Tic Tacs to manage stress.
–Celebrate our beautiful new spaces and improved access to the collections in a BIG way once the Museum reopens with interactive, unique behind-the-scenes tours and programs.
–Share the Gibbes success with museum colleagues across the state and the region through continued, active involvement and leadership in professional museum organizations.
Published January 1, 2016