CAA News Today

CAA Announces Isimeme Omogbai as Executive Director and CEO

posted by CAA — March 30, 2020

Isimeme Omogbai.

CAA is pleased to announce Isimeme (Meme) Omogbai as its next executive director in an executive search process guided by Arts Consulting Group. Omogbai succeeds David Raizman, who has served as CAA’s interim executive director since July 2019. Omogbai begins at CAA on March 30, 2020.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Meme Omogbai to CAA as Executive Director,” says Jim Hopfensperger, President of CAA. “The Search Committee conveyed its confidence that Meme will apply her unique administrative experiences, striking energy, and clear vision to the important work ahead at this key moment in the Association’s history.”

As executive director, Omogbai is an employee of the CAA Board of Directors and serves as the Association’s chief executive officer. In this role, she will work with board members, committees, and task forces to develop the Association’s strategic plans. Omogbai’s experience in resource management and the museum world will greatly benefit the membership and the larger visual arts, design, education, and cultural communities with whom CAA works. Omogbai will oversee a wide variety of initiatives, including the CAA Annual Conference, an advocacy program, member services activities, the career center, fellowships, grants and opportunities offered by CAA, and the publications program, which includes The Art Bulletin, Art Journal, Art Journal Open, and caa.reviews.

“I am joining CAA at an unprecedented period in world history as people across the globe are trying to understand what COVID-19 means for their families, communities and organizations. As I embark on this new role, I want to emphasize that maintaining the health, well-being, and safety of our staff, membership, and stakeholders is and will always be a top priority,” says Omogbai. “We have seen examples of the indomitable human spirit overcome adversity. Art inspired by challenging experiences is a common thread for many of the world’s most distinguished creative minds. Now more than ever there is a need to provide access to robust edifying visual arts experiences that are inclusive of diverse practices and practitioners for every adult and child, professional and student, nationality and race across the globe. Together we can achieve these objectives. With CAA as the preeminent international leadership organization in the visual arts, promoting these arts and their understanding, we will have the opportunity to perform an invaluable service to humanity.”

Before joining CAA, Omogbai served as a member and past Board Chair of the New Jersey Historic Trust, one of four landmark entities dedicated to preservation of the state’s historic and cultural heritage and Montclair State University’s Advisory Board. Named one of 25 Influential Black Women in Business by The Network Journal, Omogbai arrives with over 25 years of diversified experience in corporate, government, higher education, and museum sectors.

As the first American of African descent to chair the American Alliance of Museums, Omogbai led an initiative to rebrand the AAM as a global, inclusive alliance. While COO and Trustee, she spearheaded a major transformation in operating performance at the Newark Museum and achieved four consecutive years of 4-star ratings for superior management. During her time as Deputy Assistant Chancellor of New Jersey’s Department of Higher Education, Omogbai received Legislative acknowledgement and was recognized with the New Jersey Meritorious Service Award for her work on college affordability initiatives for New Jersey families.

Omogbai received her MBA in Finance & Management Consultancy from Rutgers University and holds a CPA. She did post-graduate work at Harvard University’s Executive Management Program and has earned the designation of Chartered Global Management Accountant. She studied global museum executive leadership at the J. Paul Getty Trust Museum Leadership Institute, where she also served on the faculty.

Filed under: Board of Directors, People in the News, Staff —

Meet the New CAA Board Members

posted by CAA — February 24, 2020

From left to right: Lara Ayad, Mora Beauchamp-Byrd, Scherezade Garcia-Vasquez, Tiffany Holmes, and Nada Shabout

The results of the 2020 CAA Board of Directors Election were presented at the CAA Annual Business Meeting, Part II on Friday, February 14 at 2:00 PM at the 108th CAA Annual Conference in Chicago.

We are grateful to all the candidates who put forward their names for consideration this year. The 2019-20 Nominating Committee selected six candidates for election for four-year terms, and—new this year— two Emerging Professional candidates, who were eligible for a two-year term.⁠ Voters were asked to select four of the six candidates for four-year terms, and one candidate in the Emerging Professional category.

CAA Board of Directors Election

We congratulate Mora Beauchamp-Byrd, Scherezade Garcia-Vasquez, Tiffany Holmes, and Nada Shabout on their election by CAA membership for four-year terms and Lara Ayad on her election for a two-year term as the inaugural Emerging Professional board member.

Learn more about the new members:

• Lara Ayad
Assistant Professor, Art History
Skidmore College

• Mora Beauchamp-Byrd
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
Oklahoma State University

• Scherezade Garcia-Vasquez
Interdisciplinary visual artist
Assistant Professor, Parsons School of Design

• Tiffany Holmes
Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Maryland Institute College of Art

• Nada Shabout
Professor of Art History
University of North Texas

About the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is charged with CAA’s long-term financial stability and strategic direction; it is also the Association’s governing body. The board sets policy regarding all aspects of CAA’s activities, including publishing, the Annual Conference, awards and fellowships, advocacy, and committee procedures.

Thank you to all those who voted!

Filed under: Board of Directors, Governance —

Vote for CAA’s 2020 Board of Directors

posted by CAA — January 06, 2020

As a CAA member, voting is one of the best ways to shape the future of your professional organization. Thank you for taking the time to vote! Scroll down to meet this year’s candidates and submit your online voting form.

2020 CAA Board of Directors candidates, clockwise from top left: Ixchel Ledesma, Janet Bellotto, Scherezade Garcia-Vasquez, Lara Ayad, Tiffany Holmes, Mora Beauchamp-Byrd, Robin Landa, and Nada Shabout

2020 CAA Board of Directors Election

The CAA Board of Directors comprises professionals in the visual arts who are elected annually by the membership to serve four-year terms. The Board is charged with CAA’s long-term financial stability and strategic direction; it is also the Association’s governing body. The board sets policy regarding all aspects of CAA’s activities, including publishing, the Annual Conference, awards and fellowships, advocacy, and committee procedures. For more information, please read the CAA By-laws on Nominations, Elections, and Appointments.

Meet the Candidates

The 2019–20 Nominating Committee has selected the following candidates for election to the CAA Board of Directors. Click the names of the candidates below to read their statements and resumes before casting your vote.

Board of Director Candidates (Four-Year Term, 2020-2024)

• Mora Beauchamp-Byrd
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma

• Janet Bellotto
Professor
College of Arts & Creative Enterprises,
Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

• Scherezade Garcia-Vasquez
Interdisciplinary visual artist
Assistant Professor, Parsons School of Design
New York, New York

• Tiffany Holmes
Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Maryland Institute College of Art
Baltimore, Maryland

• Robin Landa
Distinguished Professor of Design
Kean University
Union, New Jersey

• Nada Shabout
Professor of Art History
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas

Emerging Professional Board of Director Candidates (Two-Year Term, 2020-2022)

• Lara Ayad
Assistant Professor, Art History
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York

• Ixchel Ledesma
Independent Curator
Mexico City, Mexico

CAA members must cast their votes for board members online using the form below; no paper ballots will be mailed. The deadline to vote is 6:00 p.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, February 13, 2020.

Submit Your Vote Below

Use the scroll bar on the right side of the form to scroll down, make your choices, and submit.

Questions? Contact Vanessa Jalet, executive liaison, at (212) 392-4434 or vjalet@collegeart.org

Filed under: Board of Directors, Governance —

Notice of CAA 108th Annual Business Meeting

posted by CAA — December 11, 2019

College Art Association
Notice of 108th Annual Business Meeting
Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60605
Wednesday, February 12 and Friday, February 14, 2020

The 108th Annual Business Meeting of the members of the College Art Association will be called to order at 6:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, February 12th, during Convocation at the 2020 Annual Conference, in the Grand Ballroom (2^nd Floor) of the Hilton Chicago.

CAA President, Jim Hopfensperger, will preside. As is CAA’s custom, the Annual Business Meeting will be held in two parts:

AGENDA

The Agenda for the first part of the Annual Business Meeting is as follows:

I. Welcome – Jim Hopfensperger, CAA President

II. Interim Executive Directors Report – David Raizman – Presentation of CAA Awards for Distinction

III. 2019 Professional Development Fellowships in Visual Arts and Art History — Anne Collins Goodyear, Suzanne Blier, DeWitt Godfrey

IV. Keynote Address – Amanda Williams

After the Keynote Address, the Annual Business Meeting will be recessed and will re-convene on Friday, February 14, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. CDT on the 4^th floor, Room 4A of the Hilton Chicago. The Agenda for Part II of the Annual Business Meeting is as follows:

V. Approval of Minutes of 107th Annual Business Meeting, February 23, and 25, 2019

See: https://www.collegeart.org/news/2019/12/12/caa-107th-annual-business-meeting-minutes/

VI. Financial Report: Roberto Tofolo, CAA Chief Financial Officer

VII. Old Business

VIII. New Business

Results of Election of New Directors — Jim Hopfensperger, CAA President

IX. Open discussion with members, Board and staff

Proxies

If you are unable to attend the Annual Business Meeting, kindly complete a proxy online to appoint the individuals named thereon to (i) vote, as directed by you, for directors, and, at their discretion, on such other matters as may properly come before the Annual Business Meeting; and (ii) to vote in any and all adjournments thereof. CAA Members will be notified when the proxy for casting votes becomes available — online in late December 2019. A proxy, with your vote for directors, must be received no later than 6:00 p.m. CDT, Thursday, February 13, 2020.

Next Meeting – 2021

The 109th Annual Business Meeting of the College Art Association will be held in New York in 2021, and again will be divided into two parts – Part I at Convocation on Wednesday, February 17, and Part II a meeting and open discussion on Friday, February 19, 2021.

December 6, 2019

Filed under: Board of Directors, Governance —

CAA 107th Annual Business Meeting Minutes

posted by CAA — December 11, 2019

COLLEGE ART ASSOCIATION 107TH ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
MINUTES
NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NY, NY 10019
FEBRUARY 13, 2019: CONVOCATION, 6:00 P.M. – PART I
GRAND BALLROOM EAST
FEBRUARY 15, 2019: ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING, 2:00 P.M. PART II
HUDSON ROOM

Annual Business Meeting – Part One
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
6:00–7:30 p.m.

Hunter O’Hanian, CAA’s Executive Director and CEO, welcomed attendees to the Convocation and to the Association’s 107^th Annual Meeting of its members.

O’Hanian introduced Thomas Finkelpearl, Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs, who greeted the attendees on behalf of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

O’Hanian then introduced N. Elizabeth Schlatter, CAA’s Vice President for Annual Conference, who extended greetings on behalf of CAA President, Jim Hopfensperger, who was unable to attend due to the cancellation of his flight.

Awards were presented by past CAA presidents: Paul Jaskot, Nicola Courtwright, Dewitt Godfrey, Judy Brodsky and Anne Collins Goodyear.

The keynote address was given by Joyce C. Scott, sculptor, craftsperson and 2016 MacArthur Fellow.

Annual Business Meeting – Part Two
Friday, February 15, 2019
2:00–3:00 p.m.

On Friday, February 15, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., President Hopfensperger called to order Part Two of CAA’s Annual Business Meeting.

Hopfensperger called on Executive Director, Hunter O’Hanian, to report the number of proxies received by the Executive Committee from CAA’s membership. The Executive Committee received 247 proxies, thus creating a quorum to allow voting at the meeting.

Hopfensperger called for the approval of the minutes of the February 21, 2018 Annual Business Meeting held in Los Angeles, California. Tiffany Dugan moved to approve the minutes and Nick Obourn seconded the motion; the minutes were approved.

O’Hanian called on Teresa Lopez, CAA’s Chief Financial Officer, to give the financial report for

Fiscal year 2018. Lopez stated that the Association ended fiscal year 2018 with a deficit of $58,145.

The deficit was lower than the preceding two years since the Association, in 2018, made a 25% reduction in permanent staff costs. CAA’s efforts to match budget expenses to projected revenues continue.

As of June 30, 2018, there were 8,435 individual members, 461 organizational members, and an additional 651 subscribers to The Art Bulletin and/or Art Journal handled through CAA’s co-publisher, Taylor & Francis.

The fair market value of CAA’s investment portfolio on June 30, 2017 was $9,838,150. On June 30, 2018 the balance was $9,514,313.40. The portfolio continues to be handled by the investment firm of Boston Trust and Investment Management Company under the supervision of the Finance Committee of CAA’s Board of Directors.

Copies of the audited financial statement for FY 2018 compared with FY2017 are available from Ms. Lopez or as a pdf on CAA’s website.

The Board of Directors has elected a new Treasurer, David Raizman, for a four-year term beginning in October 2018.

The number of attendees for this Annual Conference stood at 5,462 as of Friday afternoon, February 15^th, 2019.

Hopfensperger called for Old Business. There was none.

Hopfensperger called for New Business and announced the results of the election for new members of the Board of Directors. With 416 votes cast by the CAA membership, the following four individuals were elected to the Board to serve a 4-year term starting in May 2019.

Lynne Allen
Niku Kashef
Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi
Jennifer Rissler

Hopfensperger expressed appreciation for the candidates’ willingness to serve CAA.

Hopfensperger then reported on the resolution to amend the by-laws. With 416 votes cast by the members, the proposed amendments passed, as presented, with 82% of those voting voted in favor of the amendments, 5% voted against and 13% abstained. Therefore, the by-laws of College Art Association were amended as presented.

With all official business completed, and no other discussion items proposed, President Hopfensperger called the meeting to a close.

Respectfully submitted,
Melissa Hilliard Potter, Secretary
College Art Association
March 6, 2019

Next Meeting

Part One of the 108th Annual Business Meeting of the College Art Association in 2020 will take place in Chicago, Illinois – Part I during Convocation on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. and Part Two on Friday, February 14, 2020.

Filed under: Board of Directors, Governance —

Announcing N. Elizabeth Schlatter as President-Elect of CAA

posted by CAA — November 11, 2019

We’re delighted to announce that N. Elizabeth Schlatter was elected at our October Board meeting as the new President of the CAA Board of Directors. She will succeed Jim Hopfensperger and serve a two-year term beginning May 1, 2020.

N. Elizabeth Schlatter is Deputy Director and Curator of Exhibitions at the University of Richmond Museums, Virginia. A museum administrator, curator, and writer, she focuses on modern and contemporary art and on topics related to curating and issues specific to university museums. At UR, she has curated more than 20 exhibitions, including recent group exhibitions of contemporary art such as “Crooked Data: (Mis)Information in Contemporary Art,” “Anti-Grand: Contemporary Perspectives on Landscape,” and “Art=Text=Art: Works by Contemporary Artists,” She also serves on and chairs various University and School of Arts & Sciences committees. Prior to the University of Richmond, she worked with exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in Washington, D.C, and in fundraising at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. She is author of Museum Careers: A Practical Guide for Novices and Students (Left Coast Press, Inc.) and a contributor to A Life in Museums: Managing Your Museum Career (American Association of Museums). She has a B.A. in art history from Southwestern University in Texas, and an M.A. in art history from George Washington University.

Prior to this elected position, Schlatter was completing a 4-year term as a CAA board member, elected in February 2016. During that time, she served as Vice President for Annual Conference for two years, and in 2019 she served on the Nominating Committee and the Strategic Plan Task Force. She jointly initiated and assisted with the development of CAA’s Resources for Academic Art Museums Professionals (RAAMP), and prior to joining CAA’s board, she was chair of the Museum Committee.

Filed under: Board of Directors, Governance, People in the News —

CAA Announces David Raizman as Interim Executive Director

posted by CAA — May 20, 2019

Photo by Michael Froio

On Sunday, May 5, the Board of Directors of CAA voted to appoint David Raizman as the Interim Executive Director of the organization. David has served as Treasurer of CAA since October 2018 and has held a number of administrative and faculty roles in higher education over a long career.

David’s term will begin July 1, 2019, at the close of the term of Hunter O’Hanian, the current Executive Director.

“I’ve been a member of CAA since 1992 and have attended and participated in CAA Annual Conferences since the early 1980s. CAA’s many programs and publications have contributed much to my development as a scholar and teacher. As a board member I’ve enjoyed seeing how CAA serves its broader membership to meet needs and challenges in academe and the arts,” said David Raizman.

“As interim Executive Director I look forward to learning more about the organization and the staff and facilitating the good work they do. I also look forward to continuing the work of Hunter O’Hanian, who created an environment of diversity and inclusion and shifted the direction of CAA toward these important ideas.”

David’s term as Interim Executive Director will span from July 1, 2019 through the appointment of a new Executive Director. The Executive Director search is currently underway, with the board of directors interviewing placement firms. The goal is to have a new executive director to lead CAA by the end of 2019.

“The Board of Directors is pleased that an experienced administrator and accomplished academic with David Raizman’s qualifications will lead CAA through this transition,” said Jim Hopfensperger, President of the CAA Board of Directors. “We have full confidence David is the right person to advance CAA’s strengths as a learned society and a professional association, while positioning the organization for long-term success under the next Executive Director.”

David Raizman biography

David Raizman is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Art & Art History in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the author of History of Modern Design (London, Laurence King and New Jersey, Pearson, 2nd edition 2010) as well as several articles and reviews on design history, including subjects ranging from American furniture to the history of world’s fairs. He earned his PhD at the University of Pittsburgh under John Williams and earlier in his career published articles and reviews on the medieval art of Spain. Prior to being appointed CAA Treasurer he was Treasurer of the International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA) and a member of its Finance Committee. During his academic career Dr. Raizman served in several administrative roles, as department head, associate dean, and interim dean in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, and his College’s representative to the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD).

During the summer 2015 he directed a four-week NEH-funded summer institute entitled “Teaching the History of Modern Design: The Canon and Beyond” at Drexel University. He was a guest lecturer at Tsinghua University in Beijing in 2014, and a fellow and guest lecturer at the Wolfsonian/FIU Museum in Miami Beach, Florida (2009; 2010). He is the co-editor of two books, with (current CAA board member) Carma Gorman, of Objects, Audiences, and Literature: Alternative Narratives in the History of Design
(Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007), and most recently, with Ethan Robey, of Expanding Nationalisms at World’s Fairs: Identity, Diversity and Exchange, 1851-1915 (Routledge, 2017). His latest book, Reading Graphic Design: Image, Text, Context is scheduled for publication with Bloomsbury in 2019.

Filed under: Board of Directors, Staff —

Announcing New CAA Board Appointments

posted by CAA — May 14, 2019

We’re delighted to announce new officer appointments for the following individuals on CAA’s Board of Directors.

Left to right: Alice Ming Wai Jim, Melissa Potter, Peter Lukehart, Audrey G. Bennett, and Colin Blakely.

Alice Ming Wai Jim, Vice President for External Relations
Professor, Concordia University Research Chair, Montreal

Melissa Potter, Vice President for Annual Conference & Programs
Associate Professor, MFA, Columbia College Chicago

Peter Lukehart, Vice President for Publications
Associate Dean, Center for Advanced Study in Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art

Audrey G. Bennett, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
Professor, University of Michigan

Colin Blakely, Secretary
Director and Professor, School of Art, University of Arizona

About the Board of Directors

Lynne Allen, Niku Kashef, Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi, and Jennifer Rissler were elected to the board earlier this year.

Learn more about the CAA Board of Directors.

Filed under: Board of Directors, Governance —

CAA Announces Departure of Executive Director Hunter O’Hanian at End of Contract

posted by CAA — March 19, 2019

College Art Association Board President Jim Hopfensperger and Executive Director/CEO Hunter O’Hanian announced last Friday to staff and internal constituents that O’Hanian will be leaving CAA upon conclusion of his current three-year contract in June.

During his time as executive director, O’Hanian oversaw numerous organizational changes including a successful rebranding, a streamlining of membership structures, and improvements to staffing and financial reporting. In addition, he supervised significant changes to programs including increases to the number of CAA Annual Conference sessions and awards, renewed engagement with CAA Affiliated Societies, a new contract with CAA’s co-publisher (Routledge, Taylor & Francis), and plans for launching year-round programs.

“Hunter has led CAA with great intelligence, empathy, energy, and passion, and the association has enjoyed many successes these past three years,” said Hopfensperger. “In particular, the board of directors is grateful for his commitment to diversity and inclusion, and his efforts to better position CAA for success as both a learned society and a professional association.”

“For me, it’s been an exciting and fulfilling experience,” said O’Hanian. “I have enjoyed meeting and working with the members, staff and board, while strengthening our programs. Making change is never easy, especially for an association with an 107-year history. But I could not be prouder of the staff at CAA, the board of directors, the committees and editorial boards, and the members of this organization for their work ethic and feedback. I believe we have made a stronger association.”

As O’Hanian concludes his service, the board of directors will begin a search for its next executive director this spring with the hopes of bringing on a new leader by year’s end. In addition, an announcement concerning plans for interim leadership through the transition will be forthcoming.

Filed under: Board of Directors, Staff —

Meet the New CAA Board Members

posted by CAA — February 21, 2019

The results of the 2019 CAA Board of Directors Election and Proposed Changes to CAA’s By-Laws were presented at the CAA Annual Business Meeting, Part II on Friday, February 15 at 2:00 PM at the 107th CAA Annual Conference in New York.

We are grateful to all the candidates who put forward their names for consideration this year. Six candidates were selected for election by the 2018-19 Nominating Committee for a four-year term running from 2019–23.