New director for Henry Art Gallery

The Henry Art Gallery has announced its choice for a new director: Sylvia Wolf, former adjunct curator and head of the photography department at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art. She will begin her job April 14, the eighth director in the Henry's 80-year history.

Wolf replaces outgoing director Richard Andrews, who announced his resignation in May after 20 years at the museum.

The search committee no doubt liked Wolf's strong background in photography: The Henry is known for its extensive collection of historical and contemporary photographs, many donated by collectors Joseph and Elaine Monsen. Among the artists Wolf has presented at the Whitney are Roni Horn, Vik Muniz, Irving Penn and Lorna Simpson. She is also known for negotiating gifts to the collection. With her help, the Whitney received most of artist Ed Ruscha's photographic holdings, more than 100 pieces.

In a telephone interview, Wolf said she was drawn to the Henry in part because of its ties with the University of Washington; she hopes to strengthen that bond. "I look forward to bringing faculty and students into the museum ... engaging them in the collections and developing further the potential for relationship that is there," she said. Wolf foresees a joint position funded by both the Henry and the university that would allow a curator, artist or researcher to share time teaching and working at the museum.

With a master of fine arts degree in photography from Rhode Island School of Design, Wolf worked in the curatorial department at The Art Institute of Chicago for 12 years before her tenure at the Whitney. She has written a dozen books on contemporary art and photography, including "Polaroids: Mapplethorpe," "Ed Ruscha and Photography," "Julia Margaret Cameron's Women" and "Visions from America: Photographs from the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1940-2001."

Wolf also has experience as a teacher, at Columbia University, New York University and Hunter College, among others.

This will be Wolf's first time running a museum, but she believes her experience has prepared her for working with large budgets and overseeing a staff. And she's ready to set aside her curatorial control. "My interest in the Henry and in the position of director is to be a facilitator for the creative team ... if I am doing my job properly I will allow the team to develop their ideas."

Wolf is married to New York theatrical lighting designer Duane Schuler, a partner of the consulting firm Schuler Shook, which was involved in the remodeling of Seattle's McCaw Hall. A move to Seattle will not affect his work, which is mostly in opera lighting design and is done worldwide, she says: "As long as there is an airport, he is in good shape."

Sheila Farr: sfarr@seattletimes.com