Herman has led Arkansas Arts Center since 2011.
Following a national search, The Mint Museum Board of Trustees has unanimously approved naming Dr. Todd Herman as the Mint’s new President & CEO. Herman, who has been the Director and CEO of Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, Arkansas since 2011, plans to join the Mint effective August 20.
“I am thrilled to be joining The Mint Museum and its strong tradition of excellence in the arts,” said Herman. “Charlotte has a vibrant and growing arts community and I look forward to positioning the Mint – North Carolina’s first art museum – as an active, collaborative participant in the local, regional, and national arts conversation. With two locations, it’s exciting to consider the possibilities of how the Mint can better connect with a wide range of audiences through its renowned collection and programs, and be a lively hub where art meets community.”
“Todd is the perfect person to lead the Mint through its next phase of growth, and I am thrilled that this is my first public announcement as the new chair of The Mint Museum’s Board of Trustees,” said Sean Jones, managing partner of K&L Gates in Charlotte, who became chair of the board effective July 1.
“I look forward to joining with our board in welcoming Todd to Charlotte and The Mint Museum. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of the Mint’s extensive search, which carefully and thoroughly evaluated dozens of candidates and many strong finalists, and clearly established that Todd is the best possible choice for the Mint,” said immediate past board chair Weston M. Andress, Regional President for PNC Bank, who chaired the CEO search committee and will remain on the Mint’s board.
Herman oversaw a dramatic period of growth, fundraising, and forward-looking planning at the Arkansas Arts Center . His accomplishments include raising $16 million to repay debt and increase the museum’s endowment, and hiring new curators to expand exhibition programs. He currently oversees a $6.2 million operating budget and manages 50 full-time and 30 part-time employees and 350 volunteers.
At the Mint, he will oversee a $10.1 million operating budget and manage 54 full-time and 23 part-time employees and 1,200 volunteers.
Prior to Arkansas, Herman was chief curator for six years at the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina; and he spent seven years at the Cleveland Museum of Art. He has held two Samuel H. Kress Fellowships and has taught art history at universities in Italy, South Carolina, Virginia, and in the Midwest. He received undergraduate degrees in art history and microbiology from James Madison University and his Ph.D. in art history from Case Western Reserve University with a focus on Italian Renaissance painting.
Herman was born in York, Penn. (home of the York Peppermint Pattie). He will move to Charlotte with his partner, Harry Gerard, and their two dogs, Abby and Lola. He is an avid jet skier and lover of travel, food, wine, and gardening.
Herman joins the Mint during an exciting period of growth, with priorities including strengthened community engagement; a grand re-opening of Mint Museum Uptown following a temporary closure for improvements; an ambitious schedule of both traveling and Mint-organized exhibitions for the coming fiscal year; and plans for expanded study and exhibition of fashion and ceramics at Mint Museum Randolph. The community will be invited to meet Herman during a series of public events throughout the fall.
“Todd will be a wonderful leader for our team and organization,” said Hillary Cooper, the Mint’s director of advancement & communications, who served as the staff representative on the search committee. “He brings the energy, expertise, and enthusiasm we need for the museum to reach its full potential. His caring nature, creative spirit, and passion for building relationships will resonate well with our community. I am so excited to work closely with him to advance our mission – it will be so much fun!”
Herman replaces Bruce LaRowe, interim president & CEO of the Mint since June 2017 . LaRowe will remain at the Mint to assist with the transition in the coming weeks.
Click here to see The Charlotte Observer’s report .
Above image: Jason Masters for Little Rock Soirée Magazine