Recently, the Academy Art Museum announced five nominees for Board of Trustees to serve a 3 year term 2010-2013. The governors are elected by the membership which will take place at the Annual Membership Meeting Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 5:00-6:30pm at Academy Art Museum.
Members who attend this meeting can expect a cocktail reception, Q&A with the Director, museum news and volunteer recognition along with the Trustee election. The Museum’s board will also recognize retiring trustees for their service, including Charles Capute, Robin Clarke, Boots Michalak, Patricia Saul and Bruce Wiltsie. In addition, the Museum will remember Trustee Wayne Bildahl, who passed away earlier this year. “Wayne’s passing will be a significant loss to the Academy. In addition to having been a long serving trustee, he was a key factor in the establishment of an audio tour capability within the Museum,” says Academy Art Museum Board Treasurer Frank Kittredge. Significantly, Wayne’s family and friends developed a fund in his name to help sustain the Museum’s exhibition audio guide, hosted by Tour-Mate.
Among those the Academy Art Museum plans to welcome are Mr. Robert Lonergan, Ms. Carla Massoni, Ms. Karen Mathis, Ms. Leslie Westbrook and Ms. Carolyn Williams. “We are very fortunate to have these new trustees joining the Academy Art Museum board. They have diverse backgrounds and exceptional experience in various non-profit organizations. We are very excited to welcome our new trustees and know they will complement our existing board,”commented Academy Art Museum Board Chairman, Patricia Roche.
Mr. Robert Lonergan recently retired as Executive Vice-President and General Counsel of Rohm and Haas, a $10 billion, Philadelphia-based, specialty chemical manufacturer. Previously he held similar positions at Pegasus Gold, Inc., Kennecott (Copper) Corporation, and Kusan Inc. He began his legal career with the firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and later joined the legal team at Bethlehem Steel. He holds undergraduate and Law degrees from Fordham University. He has been active on a number of Boards including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Institute for Law and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, the Committee for Science, Technology and Law at the National Academies, the Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia among several others. He and his wife Marsha live in Oxford.
Ms. Carla Massoni opened her first gallery in 1990 at the Imperial Hotel in Chestertown. Subsequently she created a contemporary craft and fine art gallery with Maria Sommer and then established the Carla Massoni Gallery in 1993. This gallery features established mid-career artists working in the full range of media. Under corporate title of MASSONIART she serves as an artist’s representative, private art consultant, and gallery consultant. She frequently serves as a juror for Art shows in Maryland and Virginia. She has a long-standing relationship with the Academy Art Museum including a previous term on the Board in 1997. A native of Annapolis, Maryland, Ms. Massoni lived in Chevy Chase before moving to Chestertown in 1985. She and her husband Albert L. Massoni have three children and one grandson.
Ms. Karen Mathis taught science and art in Massachusetts and Maryland for more than twenty years. She holds art history and fine art degrees from Southern Methodist and George Washington Universities. Since 1990 she has been a professional artist specializing in watercolors and Plein-Art painting. She has participated in Plein-Air Easton and painted outdoors across North America and France. She served on the Board of the Washington Junior League and held various positions as a docent for the National Gallery of Art and volunteered with Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC. She is also active with the Liturgical Art Group for Christ Church in Easton. She and her husband John lived previously in Potomac, Maryland before moving to Easton fulltime in 2004. They have two children and five grandchildren.
Ms. Leslie Westbrook started her career in marketing with Procter & Gamble after earning a degree from the University of Mississippi. Subsequently she has worked with most of the Fortune 500 companies as a marketing and branding advisor. She has worked as an advisor to the Mayor of Milan, Italy and as an Executive Producer for the Independent film Riders. Since coming to the Eastern Shore from Kansas City in 1996, she has been actively involved in Board and Community work. She has served in various capacities with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas; the United Fund of Talbot County (including the Talbot International Food & Wine Festival); Washington College; the Women & Girls Fund; the St. Michael’s Concour D’Elegance; the Red Cross of Delmarva; and the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay. She and her husband Paolo Frigerio reside in Easton and also enjoy spending time in Costa Rica.
Ms. Carolyn Williams specialized in complex litigation within state and federal courts nationwide. She spent her entire professional career with Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, as an associate and after 1987 as a partner. She is currently “Of Counsel” with the firm. Originally from Osh Kosh, Wisconsin, she holds degrees from Smith College, Cambridge University and Yale Law School. She is now taking graduate courses in the history of Renaissance Art at Johns Hopkins University. She has been active with numerous legal organizations including the American Bar Association, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Talbot County, and the American Law Institute as well as Christ Church in Easton. She and her husband Colin Walsh live in Easton and also spend time in Cortona, Italy
VISITOR INFORMATION
Admission to the Museum is $3 for non –members, children under 12 admitted free. The Museum is open Monday and Friday, 10am – 4pm with extended hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am – 7pm. and Saturdays from 10am – 3pm. The Museum is located at 106 South St., Easton, MD, 21601. For general Museum information, call 410-822-ARTS (2787) or visit: www.academyartmuseum.org