Director of the Library

Minimum Starting Salary: $100,000

The Clark Art Institute (The Clark) seeks nominations and applications for a creative, transformative, and dynamic leader for its next Director of the Library. This position is an excellent opportunity for a thoughtful, pragmatic, and inclusive leader to provide strategic vision and leadership, expert day-to-day management of people and processes, and collections expertise appropriate to the depth and breadth of the Clark’s noted collections. The Clark seeks an individual who can collaboratively design new and innovative services that demonstrate the value of its distinctive collections to the intellectual work of a global community of scholars, teachers, researchers, and the broader public.

The Clark has a staff of approximately ninety and a budget of $25 million, from a combination of dedicated acquisitions and other endowments. The Director of the Library will have the opportunity to create exceptional services and collections in support of the research mission at the Clark and around the globe. Reporting to the Deputy Director of the Clark and working in close partnership with the Hardymon Director of the Clark, Olivier Meslay, the Director of the Library will help develop and implement the library’s strategic priorities as they align with the Clark’s, in an exceptionally stimulating intellectual environment. 

In 1950, Sterling and Francine Clark chartered the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute as a home for their extensive art collection. After considering several options, including founding a museum in Cooperstown, New York or in Manhattan, the Clarks chose Williamstown, Massachusetts, based on Cold War concerns about locating their collection in a major urban center and, more loosely, on certain familial ties with Williams College. Opened to the public in 1955, the Clark has built upon this extraordinary foundation of works from the private collection of Sterling and Francine Clark to become one of the most beloved and respected art museums in the world, known for its intimate galleries and stunning natural setting. Best known for its collection of French Impressionism and its important holdings of works by leading American artists, the Clark’s continued additions to its collections through new acquisitions and its long history of collaborating with contemporary artists and art historians ensures continued vibrancy and relevance in an ever-changing world.

One of the few institutions in the United States that combines a public art museum with a Research and Academic Program, the Clark is a leading international center for research and discussion on the nature of art, art history, and visual culture. Its close connections to Williams College and its partnership in the Williams/Clark Graduate Program in the History of Art further deepen the Institute’s connection to scholarly concerns and to the continued growth and development of the field.   

The Clark houses one of the most distinguished art research libraries in the country, with nearly 300,000 volumes in over sixty-five languages. Focusing on post-medieval European and American art, the collection is outstanding in the fields of Italian and Northern Renaissance, Baroque, and nineteenth-century French art, the history of photography, and international contemporary art, as well as theory and visual culture. 

The Director serves as a key member of the Clark’s leadership team and contributes to the overall strategic direction of the Institute. The Director is responsible for guiding the Institute’s libraries and archives and staff to support and advance current and future research and scholarly dimensions of the Institute as developed by the administration. In conjunction with the office of the Hardymon Director of the Clark, the Director of the Library develops policies, budgets, and collaborative initiatives with colleague institutions. In addition, the Director acquires, preserves, and provides physical and intellectual access to a broad research-level collection in art history and related fields in a variety of formats. The Director ensures provision of service to library users.  

The Director leads and manages approximately fourteen talented staff and an annual budget of over $1 million dollars including operating, acquisitions, and personnel. 

The ideal candidate will hold an advanced degree in a relevant field and an impressive record of intellectual and scholarly achievement. In addition, they should bring strong leadership skills and administrative experience within an academic and/or research library to the role, as the resources of the library are significant.

To view the full position profile, please visit Storbeck Search’s website.

Please send nominations, applications, and queries in confidence and electronically to: 

The Clark is an equal opportunity employer.