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Gilman curated many exhibitions during her time in
Toledo, oversaw the development of an innovative artist
residency program, and brought diverse and thought-
provoking programming and acquisitions to the
museum.
Gilman followed an atypical but methodical path to
museum leadership. A performance studies major at
Northwestern University, she left the arts world after
graduation, working for a number of years in for-profit
companies. “I realized that I wanted to get back into
the arts,” she says.
With her focus on making art, she found an MFA
program in photography at Columbia College in
Chicago. “I applied and I was a fairly nontraditional
student, because I didn’t have an extensive background
in photography,” she says. “It was a great way to
change course, but I could not have anticipated where it
would lead.”
Meet the
New Director:
Dr. Amy Gilman
For the first time in more than a generation, the Upon enrolling, Gilman took an internship as the
Chazen Museum of Art has a new director. Dr. assistant to the director of the college’s Museum of
Amy Gilman became the director of the Chazen on Contemporary Photography, and it was there that she
Sept. 11, 2017. She follows Russell Panczenko, who discovered her path. “It was a small museum, so I did
retired after thirty-three years as director. everything,” she says. “I realized in the middle of the
Gilman, 48, is an experienced curator and seasoned
museum leader. She joins the Chazen following
distinguished service at the Toledo Museum of Art,
most recently as deputy director. In Toledo, she was
responsible for the overall operations of the museum
internship that what I wanted was to be the director. I
loved talking to classes, I loved pulling artwork, I loved
thinking about the way things were laid out, I loved
having conversations with artists. I had to figure out
how to go about getting that job.”
and was the leader of the campus master planning Gilman first thought she might leave the MFA program
process. In addition to her administrative duties, and start studies in art history to reach her goal. “But