Frye museum announces new staff, new vision

By Sheila Farr
Seattle Times art critic

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Other links Search event listings Search movie listings Sign up for Movies e-mail

The Frye Art Museum, in limbo since Richard West stepped down as executive director more than a year ago, has announced major changes to its top staff.

The board selected acting director Elsa (Midge) Bowman as the museum's new executive director. Bowman has served as interim director since March. A music historian, Bowman is a former King County Arts Commissioner and trustee of Pomona College. She headed the Bush School and has written for national publications on arts management and educational issues.

A more dramatic change is that Robin Held, associate curator at the Henry Art Gallery, will take over in October as the Frye's new curator of exhibitions, succeeding Debra Byrne. Held is known for scholarly exhibitions, including "Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics," a far cry from the tame fare the Frye hung under Byrne's watch.

And Sherry Prowda, former director of Seattle Arts & Lectures, is the Frye's new director of external affairs.

"It's happened very quickly, so the whole thing was quite rushed," Bowman said. "Soon after I got here, Debra Byrne resigned." Bowman says it's time for the Frye to move into the future.

"The Frye is 50 years old, but it would seem to me it's more like 7 years old," Bowman said.

"Until Richard West came, we were not a museum, we were more a mausoleum for the permanent collection. He really made very good work starting this place, but now we're ready for another level."

The Frye's mission requires that the museum show only representational artworks.

"We have a very interesting niche, but there can be an ongoing conversation about what representational art is," Bowman says. That's where Held comes in. "Robin understands the kind of museum she is moving to ... . She seems to be a team player and I think she has a deep respect for the Frye mission."

Bowman's next job is to find a new education director for the Frye, another post that has been open for about a year.
 
Sheila Farr: sfarr@seattletimes.com