Director - Speed Art Museum

Warren Whitney•Louisville, KY

1d•$275,000 - $315,000

About The Position

The Speed Art Museum (the Speed) is one of the preeminent art institutions in the country. Housing Kentucky's only encyclopedic collection, the Museum has played a decisive role in preserving and advancing great art for nearly 100 years. As Kentucky's oldest, largest, and most distinguished art museum, the Speed has been a cultural anchor for Louisville and the region since 1927. Committed to access, representation, and meaningful community connection, the Speed creates dynamic art experiences that spark curiosity and foster dialogue. With 2027 marking the Speed's Centennial year, the Museum has made an indelible imprint on the lives of the communities it serves, and more broadly within the State of Kentucky and nationally. The Speed is poised for a new chapter in its history. The Speed's collection of around 15,000 objects is substantial and enviable for an institution of its size, and the Museum enjoys a considerable reputation in the region. The Speed's location on the University of Louisville campus ensures opportunities for collaboration and a robust student audience. In fall 2025, the Speed unveiled a new, three-acre sculpture-filled Art Park that is free for all and situates the Speed as a central gathering space on campus, and within the City of Louisville. The Speed employs nearly 100 staff, with an annual budget of approximately $8.5 million, a general endowment of more than $56 million, and an acquisitions endowment of approximately $17 million. Opportunities and Challenges Throughout its history, the Speed has made substantial artistic, programmatic, and institutional advances. The Museum has also experienced post-COVID financial and staffing challenges similar to those across the museum field. These conditions present an opportunity to rethink the Speed's position in a changing social, cultural, and economic landscape. The next Director will be responsible for advancing a compelling long-term vision while ensuring that the Museum's resources, structure, and priorities are aligned to support it. In the near term, this includes strengthening financial sustainability, reinforcing organizational alignment, and establishing clear priorities that support both mission and capacity. The Speed has a strong patron base, especially among those who care deeply about the Museum and give generously. As wealth transitions occur, the giving patterns of these families may not have the same affinity for the Museum. In this climate, the next Director will be called on to expand and diversify the base of support. In recent years, the Speed has engaged in a long-term evolution of its mission, expanding from a traditional focus on preservation and scholarship to include more public- and engagement-centered programming. The next Director – in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and senior leadership – will need to establish a productive balance between ambition, audience engagement, and available resources. Following a period of staffing changes and organizational transition, there is an opportunity to strengthen institutional culture, rebuild trust across departments, and reinforce a shared sense of purpose and accountability. Louisville is a growing, vibrant city with a strong arts and cultural sector. The next Director will play an active civic role, investing in the community as a full-time resident and as a visible and engaged cultural leader. Art institutions – and museums in particular – stand at a crossroads between purpose and relevance. The next Director of the Speed will be called upon to lead with clarity, judgment, and confidence in shaping the Museum's future role and impact. The Role of the Director The Director is the chief executive of the Museum, overseeing the entire institution – finance and administration, fundraising, collections, staff, facilities, exhibitions, research, education and community engagement programs, and external affairs. The Director collaborates and reports to the Board of Trustees, and works in close partnership with the Board and senior curatorial, administrative, and development staff to advance the Museum's mission, with clear alignment on roles, priorities, and decision-making responsibilities. The Director serves as the Speed's principal fundraiser, and forges external partnerships and collaborations throughout the city, state, nation, and internationally. The Director is the Speed's primary spokesperson and advocate – locally, regionally, and within the national and global cultural network.

Requirements

Experience in a senior-level museum position
Experience leading, serving, and working with a governing Board
Experience leading organizations through periods of transition, including culture-building, organizational alignment, and operational stabilization
Track record of managing balanced budgets and institutional financial strategy
Ability to identify, attract, retain, and motivate top talent
Success in securing major gifts from individual donors
Proven record of increasing earned and contributed income
Capacity to create and foster a culture of collaboration among board and staff members
History of community engagement

Responsibilities

Create a long-term vision for the Museum, along with annual operating plans
With Board of Trustees and senior leadership staff, develop and execute long-term strategic plan
Commitment to museum best practices and industry standards
Achieve the Museum's accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums
Serve as non-voting Ex officio Trustee and primary staff liaison for the Board of Trustees and its standing committees.
Establish clarity of roles, decision-making authority, and cross-departmental alignment to ensure effective organizational performance
Oversee the preparation and management of the Museum's revenue plans, forecasts, budget, audit, endowment, and financial reports
With Board of Trustees leadership, establish performance criteria and metrics for what constitutes success
Partner with senior leadership staff and the Board Finance Committee to prepare and present the annual operating budget plan to the Board of Trustees for approval each year, and ensure that institutional plan is implemented and maintained
Supervise day-to-day finance and administrative operations
Implement institutional policies and processes, ensuring effective internal controls and systems, quantitative and qualitative documentation, and evaluation of programs
Recruit, and oversee hiring and onboarding of senior curatorial, administrative, and development staff
Strengthen internal communication, coordination, and accountability across departments
Oversee and steward the care and improvement of the Museum's facilities and surrounding campus, including capital upgrades and essential maintenance
Work collectively with Board of Trustees and senior leadership staff in planning to ensure sustainability and operational effectiveness of Museum's facilities.
Serve as chief fundraiser, with immediate focus on strengthening support for operations and building confidence among donors and stakeholders
Ensure development program integrates with the Museum's mission and operations
Align development, finance, and leadership staff and functions
Evaluate, rebuild, and expand the Museum's major donor base
Establish relationships with new and existing donors and institutions
Steward relationships with legacy donors and their families for generational continuity
Cultivate major foundations, businesses, and government partners.
Elevate the Museum's local, national, and global profile and presence within the broader museum field
Represent the Speed at city, state, and regional events and forums
Oversee the preparation of all museum publications and communications
Participate in national conferences, meetings, and forums
Provide interviews for print publications and the media.
Provide strategic leadership across curatorial, exhibition, education, and public programming functions, ensuring alignment with the Museum's mission, audience, and resources
Partner with curatorial and program leadership to define priorities, balance ambition with capacity, and support innovation and collaboration
Ensure that exhibitions, public programs, and community engagement efforts are integrated and contribute to audience growth and institutional relevance