Clark Art Institute Names New Deputy Director
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Larry Smallwood, a veteran arts executive, will join the Clark Art Institute's staff as deputy director on Oct. 29. Smallwood succeeds Tony King, who is retiring from the Clark after a 20-year tenure.
Smallwood is the deputy director and chief operating officer of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. He played a central leadership role in the organization’s recent $40 million expansion and has been a vital part of Mass MoCA's growth. In his current role, Smallwood manages multiple internal departments and budgets, and oversees Mass MoCA’s commercial real estate operations.
"Larry Smallwood brings unique skills and boundless energy to his work and is a dynamic and creative team-centered leader. He joins our staff at a moment of great opportunity and will play a critical role in helping us to achieve many of the exciting projects we are planning for the future," said Olivier Meslay, the Hardymon Director of the Clark. “We have deep respect and admiration for the important role Larry has played in shaping Mass MoCA and know that our region will be further enriched by the contributions he will make to the Clark in the years ahead.”
"I have a deep love for the Berkshires and consider myself fortunate to have had the chance to play a small part in shaping some of the changes and growth that have spurred our cultural economy over the last twenty years," Smallwood said. "I've watched with interest as Olivier Meslay laid the groundwork for the Clark's next chapter and know that the years ahead will be filled with transformative new programs and ambitious challenges. I relish the opportunity to be a part of the team that will accomplish these goals and deeply appreciate the chance to expand and deepen my skills and career, in an utterly new environment, but also while staying rooted here in the Berkshires."
Smallwood worked at Mass MoCA from 1998 to 2006 and returned to the organization in 2013. He first joined the Mass MoCA staff a year prior to its opening, working to create the framework and infrastructure for its performance venues and to provide production and technical support for its performing arts programming. His responsibilities expanded in 2003 when he joined the production and technical team for Mass MoCA's visual arts program, working with artists, curators, and fabricators to mount a wide range of exhibitions.
From 2006 to 2013, Smallwood lived and worked in Chicago, where he served as a producer and designer for a number of art and cultural venues including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. He also worked as a producer of events and art installations for corporate clients including Equity Group Investments, Harley-Davidson, and BBC America.
"To say that Larry has been pivotal in the birth and development of Mass MoCA would be to understate the depth and breadth of his contribution, which spanned nearly 14 years of combined service, and which reached into nearly every aspect of museum operations,” said Mass MoCA Founding Director Joseph Thompson. "Although we couldn't be happier that Larry is remaining within our family of Northern Berkshire museums - his presence at the Clark will no doubt add more energy to our multi-layered cross-institutional collaborations - it is also true that we will miss him, and dearly, at Mass MoCA. The depth of his commitment to Mass MoCA, and the almost endless capacity of his heart, leaves an indelible mark on this place and makes him a cherished colleague."
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