Photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester.
As of June 15, Dr Nile Blunt is the new executive director of the Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit, Mass. His professional background is steeped in European and American art and its interpretation across painting, decorative arts and material culture. Blunt has held previous leadership roles at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Crystal Bridges of American Art and the Memorial Art Gallery. “His vision, scholarship, leadership and deep commitment to community engagement make him uniquely suited to lead the museum into its next chapter,” said Jessica Rapp Grassetti, board of trustees president. We hopped on a phone call to ask Blunt about his vision for the museum.
What are you most looking forward to?
What I’m most looking forward to is this idea of entering a new stage, a new phase of growth for the museum within the community of Cape Cod, the wider region of New England and hopefully eventually having more of a national presence, celebrating American art and artists.
What about the Cahoon was most appealing to you?
It’s a wonderful museum with a significant role in its community and a rich history of interesting, engaging exhibitions and programs. The combination of its historic home and gardens with the ongoing expansion makes this an especially exciting time for the museum.
I am deeply honored to join the Cahoon as it enters an exciting new era. The museum is an inspiring institution with significant momentum and an extraordinary capacity to deepen its role as a cultural anchor for Cape Cod. I look forward to working with the board, staff, artists, civic partners and supporters to create meaningful opportunities for robust engagement with American art and artists through dynamic exhibitions, programs, partnerships and initiatives.
Installation view of the museum’s Trustees Gallery, currently featuring the exhibition titled “Tiffany’s Gardens in Glass.”
What is one of your immediate short-term goals for the museum?
One of my immediate goals is to have the museum actively invite feedback from our community, supporters and audiences. I want to hear their perspectives on our impact, the role we play, how we are performing and how we can improve. I am eager to learn what they value most and what they hope to see from us in the future.
My goal is to find engaging and impactful ways for both me and the museum to truly listen to all our stakeholders — not just the board and members but also casual visitors, longtime supporters, audiences, community members and neighbors. This will help us generate momentum around what our audiences are excited to experience, identify their interests and strengthen our relationships so we can continue to serve our community well.
Two years from now, what would make you feel like you got off to a good start?
I would say two things. One, certainly, it would be to see increased visitorship and increased membership, but it’s not just about numbers. What matters most is hearing great feedback from all the different groups connected to the museum and knowing that the buzz and excitement from when I started are still going strong. I hope everyone feels good about the groundwork I’ve laid over those two years.
What’s one aspect of your leadership style?
I have this way of thinking about teams and how they operate that I try to embody in my leadership. I always use the analogy of a museum staff as a rowboat with many people paddling. The idea is that every person who’s contributing has a different paddle that can look very different. Each paddle can really be unique in all kinds of ways and specific to that person and I really celebrate that. My goal is always, however, to have all of those unique paddles all paddling in the same direction.
—Andrea Valluzzo
