(January 4, 2016) The Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Lacy Schutz as its new Executive Director. She will assume her appointment on February 1, 2016.
As Executive Director, Ms. Schutz will build upon recent Museum successes including three major exhibitions, culminating at the European Art Fair in Maastricht, the Netherlands in March 2015; completion of the stabilization of the iconic 1859 Great Stone Barn, a World Monuments Fund heritage site; and the enlivening of the North Family historic site at Mount Lebanon with exhibitions, guided tours, and a new visitor center. Ms. Schutz will lead the Museum in telling the story of the Shakers as influential American revolutionaries. She will steward the collection through a digital cataloging process, and supervise additional historic preservation initiatives at Mount Lebanon.
“I’m tremendously honored and excited to be joining the Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon,” Ms. Schutz said. “I look forward to advancing the Museum’s role in the cultural life of Columbia County, while raising its profile on the national and international levels.
I’m eager to begin work with the Museum’s staff and Board on programming that illuminates the unique history and contributions of the Shakers.”
Most recently, Ms. Schutz served as the Chief Administrative Officer for Exhibitions and Collections at the Museum of the City of New York, where she has worked since 2009. Prior to that, she was the founding Archivist and Records Manager at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA.
Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Ms. Schutz holds a Master of Science in Information and Library Science from Pratt Institute, and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Bennington College. She is in the process of relocating to Great Barrington, MA, where her husband Dr. Ian Bickford, was recently appointed Provost and Vice President of Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
“We are thrilled that Lacy has accepted the Executive Director’s position,” said Jeff Daly, the Museum’s Chairman of the Board.
“Her extraordinary collections management experience will be invaluable, as we prepare for the move from Old Chatham, NY to Mount Lebanon. Returning our incomparable collection to its historic home will not only revitalize the Museum, it will serve as a significant economic driver for Columbia County and the town of New Lebanon. We have every confidence that under Lacy’s leadership, we will achieve our goals.”
The Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon, located in New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York, is dedicated to engaging and inspiring local, national, and global audiences by telling the story of the American Shakers. The museum’s collections span over 56,000 items and it stewards the North Family historic site at Mount Lebanon, a National Historic Landmark. The museum is open seasonally at the site from June to October, and offers programs year-round. Please visit www.shakerml.org for more information.
