Adam M. Levine, Ph.D. will become the next leader of the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens.
Levine will be assuming the role of Director and CEO in January. Until then he will be consulting with the museum’s current leadership while he prepares to relocate to Jacksonville.
Levine will be leaving the Toledo Museum of Art where he currently serves as the deputy director and curator for ancient art.
The Cummer Museum conducted an 18-month national search after the museum’s former director, Hope McMath, announced her resignation. McMath went on to found the Yellow House in Jacksonville.
“Adam is a leader in the arts who has unique abilities to enhance our collections and exhibitions, broaden already strong community engagement and ensure that Mrs. Cummer’s vision of a ‘museum for all of the people of Jacksonville’ is realized,” said Ricardo “Rick” Morales, III, chair of the Cummer’s Board of Trustees in an email to WJCT News.
Levine was a collections management assistant in the Greek and Roman Art Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City before heading to Toledo, Ohio.
“When I visited the Cummer Museum, I was overwhelmed by its potential,” said Levine in a news release. “The seasoned staff, the magnificent gardens, the strong collection, and the supportive board all suggested the museum could become a truly special institution.”
"It's hard for me to articulate how excited I am for the opportunity, how excited I am to work with the entire Jacksonville community to make this institution as relevant as it can be," Levine told WJCT. "The only way you can be sustainable is to be continuously relevant. What I hope to do with my colleagues at the museum, on the board and with all of Northeast Florida is to create the most relevant institute possible to their daily lives. And I'm really excited for the opportunity and just can't thank the search committee enough for their trust in my ability to do so."
As CEO, Levine will also be acting as the museum’s chief fundraiser.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
Brendan Rivers can be reached at brivers@wjct.org, 904-358-6396 or on Twitter at @BrendanRivers.
