Three candidates left in ICA dir. search

Officials on the search committee for a new director of the Institute of Contemporary Art announced that the pool of candidates for the position has been narrowed down to a final three contenders. According to committee participant and provost's office staff member Bonnie Gibson, the three candidates will be coming to campus over the next few weeks for "extensive interviews." Due to the confidentiality of the search process, the committee would not reveal the names of the candidates. Gibson said the candidates will undergo a second round of interviews this month, which will be "more telling" as the candidates undergo multiple interviews with the search committee members. Upon completion of the second interviews, the committee will present their recommendations to Provost Robert Barchi, who will then make the final decision regarding the new director. The ICA, located at 36th and Sansom streets and overseen by the provost's office, has long featured avant-garde exhibits of contemporary art. The committee, consisting of three University representatives -- Graduate School of Fine Arts Dean Gary Hack, School of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Rebecca Bushnell and Gibson, as well as three ICA representatives -- remains optimistic that it will meet the targeted hiring date of July 1. Gibson, however, said the date may be a "little aggressive," though she added that the committee has been "pleased with their progress" thus far and that July 1 remains the goal. Judith Tannenbaum, the ICA's associate director and curator, said that she thinks there is a "good possibility" that the position will be filled over the summer. The search has been in progress for five months since former Director Patrick Murphy stepped down in November. Tannenbaum has served as interim director since January. With the aid of the Management Consultants for the Arts, a consulting firm, the committee originally identified nine candidates for the job, Gibson said. After the first round of interviews, the committee then pared the list down to the current three contenders. According to Gibson, the position requires "someone with strong credentials in contemporary art, management experience and fundraising experience." Tannenbaum noted that she will be glad when a new director assumes the position because currently she is effectively "doing two full-time jobs" and she would like to devote more time to the curating responsibilities under her normal position. Murphy served as director for eight years and announced his resignation last September. He will return to his native Ireland to assume a similar position this summer.

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