Figge director to return home for new job
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A native of Michigan, Figge Art Museum executive director Michelle Hargrave will return to her home state next month to become new head of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
A graduate of Brighton High School (north of Ann Arbor) and the University of Michigan, Hargrave decided to move to be closer to her parents and siblings, Figge spokeswoman Lacey Skorepa said Friday.
“We at the Figge Art Museum are deeply thankful for her impactful leadership and dedication. Michelle is choosing to step down to be closer to her family, a decision we wholeheartedly support,” Skorepa said by email.
“This new chapter offers her an exciting opportunity, and we share in her excitement. We remain committed to our mission of bringing art and people together, and we are optimistic about our future direction and continuing the work Michelle has been a significant part of.”
Executive director of the major art museum in the Quad Cities since December 2019, Hargrave’s last day here will be April 17, 2024, and she’ll start in Kalamazoo on May 6, 2024. She was not available for comment on Friday.
As executive director and CEO at the Figge (225 W. 2nd St., Davenport), “she spearheaded transformative initiatives that elevated the museum’s status and resulted in notable growth,” Kalamazoo Institute of Arts said in its release.
Her achievements include securing major acquisitions and gifts, increasing earned and contribute revenue, developing key partnerships with national organizations such as the Art Bridges Foundation, further diversifying the museum’s collections and programming, and significantly growing the museum’s studio school program.
Additionally, she secured funding for what will be the largest public artwork in Iowa, an ambitious light sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Leo Villareal, set to illuminate the Figge’s façade in 2025 (the 100th anniversary of the Davenport art museum; KIA was founded in 1924).
“With a deep commitment to ensuring museums serve their communities with excellence and inclusion, she expanded free admission periods and collaborated closely with regional partners to expand meaningful programming, outreach, and accessibility,” KIA’s release said.
Hargrave’s prior roles include deputy director at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut and curator at the American Federation of Arts in New York City.
“A native Michigander, Michelle is looking forward to returning to her home state,” the KIA said. She earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and a master’s of art from The Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design, and Material Culture.
‘The top of the list’
“Michelle Hargrave rose to the top of the list of a very competitive and diverse candidate pool of potential executive directors for the KIA,” said KIA Search Committee and Board of Directors member James Liggins, Jr.
“She provided the clearest combination of robust and high-level museum executive director experience coupled with a powerful vision of how to shepherd the KIA through its continued growth as a premiere arts museum not just in Southwest Michigan but in the nation,” he said in the museum release.
“Michelle came to the search process with a strong and genuine appreciation of the great work accomplished during the previous administration and substantive knowledge on how to capitalize on our momentum as we enter into our next 100 years as an institution.”
“The KIA, over the last 100 years, has demonstrated the power of people, place, and art, establishing itself as a premier institution in the sector. In the next 100 years, with Michelle’s strategic leadership, we will see exciting innovations, greater engagement, and continued excellence in museum, education, and collections,” said KIA board chair Perry Wolfe.
Hargrave expressed her enthusiasm for the new opportunity, stating, “I am honored to join the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, a dynamic institution that embodies the belief that the arts are for everyone, and look forward to collaborating with the dedicated board members, KIA colleagues, and vibrant community to further enrich the institution’s legacy of artistic excellence and community engagement.
“Together, we will build upon the foundation laid by previous leadership and chart an exciting course for the future of the museum that fosters creativity, inclusivity, innovation, and meaningful connections through the transformative power of art,” she said.
The KIA’s current building opened in 1961, designed by the Chicago-based firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; the 45,000-square-foot structure was based on a Mies van der Rohe design for a small museum.
In 1997, the KIA began a $14.5 million expansion and renovation. The project increased the size of the KIA to 72,000 square feet and added a two-story lobby gallery, auditorium, classrooms and galleries, gallery shop, library and an interactive gallery for children.
Dale Chihuly‘s Kalamazoo Ruby Light Chandelier, a colorful chandelier of 400 pieces of glass, became a permanent fixture in the lobby foyer.
The four-story, $47-million Figge Art Museum (which opened Aug. 6, 2005) was designed by architect Sir David Chipperfield. He was named 2023 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize – an award regarded internationally as architecture’s highest honor.
The board of the Figge is actively engaged in the process of appointing an interim executive director. “We’re committed to ensuring a seamless transition and will share more information as it becomes available,” Skorepa said Friday.
For more information on KIA, click HERE. Additional information about the Figge Art Museum and a schedule of events is available HERE.
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