New director of the Ulrich Museum of Art announced
A return to Wichita welcome party will be in order for Robert Workman after he starts his new job at Wichita State.
Workman has been selected as the next director of the Ulrich Museum of Art on WSU’s main campus. He was assistant curator at the Ulrich from 1978 to 1980 and Curatorial Assistant from 1976 to 1978. He will start at his new position on Jan. 13, 2013.
“I’m really pleased to be moving back to Wichita. There have been so many great changes since we left…and I look forward to exploring all that Wichita now has to offer,” Workman said.
“The interviewing process took several weeks as the Provost’s Office brought in three candidates for campus visits,” museum interim director Teresa Veazey said.
A nationwide search began when former Ulrich Director Patricia McDonnell accepted a job at the Wichita Art Museum. The search committee selected Workman as one of three finalists, which included Julien Robson from Pennsylvania and David Brown from North Carolina.
“His skill in helping to launch both the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, and the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, Kansas, shows that he is able to carry out a vision for an organization. And that will be a benefit for the Ulrich,” Veazey said.
Workman will leave his job as Director of the Flint Hills Discovery Center.
“I’ve been really blessed in my career. I’ve worked with art museum professionals throughout the U.S., and I’ve traveled extensively in my work. I also was privileged to work on the building of three museums,” Workman said.
Workman attended WSU in the 1970s and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1978. He also completed a Master’s of Arts degree in History of Arts from Boston University in Boston in 1993 and studied Museum Management from the Museum Management Institute in Berkeley, Calif.
He said students will play a role in the transition.
“The Ulrich was a key part of my life as a student at WSU…being a part of the programs of the Ulrich literally opened my eyes to a world of possibilities when I was a student,” Workman said. “My goal is to create a similar level of student engagement and impact for all the students at WSU. Students are why university museums exist in the first place, and so reaching students will be at the core of every decision we make going forward.”
Along with student involvement, Workman adds that it is “very important that the strong current team of staff, university and community leaders all participate in this transition process.”
“It is important to me that we all make the Ulrich both a dynamic university resource as well as an important community resource,” Workman said.
With the move back to Wichita, Workman said he and his family expect to enjoy being part of a larger urban environment.
