SVMA Appoints Kate Eilertsen as Executive Director
 | | Following an extensive national search, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) announces the appointment of Kate Eilertsen as executive director. The museum is entering its second decade as a North Bay leader in fine art exhibitions, educational programs, and arts advocacy. Eilertsen’s extensive career has prepared her to lead the museum as it enters a new phase of strategic expansion. “This beautiful museum is simply a jewel,” said Eilertsen, who has served as the museum’s interim executive director since January. “The exceptional exhibitions, acclaimed educational programs, and commitment to providing arts for everyone in the community present a profound opportunity that I simply could not pass up. I look forward to meeting everyone in the neighborhood and to working with the board and staff to provide inspired exhibitions, expand the educational offerings, and polish this gem.” “The decision to offer Kate the position was unanimous and enthusiastic,” said SVMA Board President Jane Milotich. “She brings just the right balance of scholarship and wide ranging aesthetic and personal sensibilities to meet the challenges of moving the museum to another level. Her demonstrated commitment to community and collaboration will make her a valuable member of our valley.” Eilertsen began her museum career at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, where she oversaw the installation of the Rockefeller Collection. Harvard University Art Museums then hired her to manage the opening of the Sackler Museum, after which she became director of exhibitions for all three Harvard University Art Museums. In 1988, she moved to California and received a second degree in education. Her teaching career has included serving as associate dean at the San Francisco Art Institute and as an associate professor at California College of the Arts. Her recent museum experience includes serving as director of both the University of California at Berkeley’s Museum at Blackhawk and Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco. In 2007, she was named acting director of visual arts for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, where she curated the exhibitions “Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth,” “Irreverent: Contemporary Nordic Craft Art,” and “Bay Area Now 5.” |
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