Front of the Historic Taft Museum of Art
NEW LEADERSHIP FOR A VENERABLE INSTITUTION After a nationwide search, Rebekah Beaulieu was selected as president and CEO of the Taft Museum of Art. Images Courtesy of Taft Museum of Art Rebekah (Becky) Beaulieu has been a museum professional for more than twenty years. Her career has evolved from education and curatorial positions to museum administration: in 2009, Beaulieu [or] [Becky, as she prefers to be called] was appointed director of the Winchester (Massachusetts) Historical Society. After four years in Winchester, then another four as associate director of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine, Becky accepted the position of director at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 2018. Formerly the site of the Lyme Art Colony, the Florence Griswold Museum consists of a National Historic Landmark house, a modern gallery building for special exhibitions and museum amenities, and 12 acres of engaging, family-friendly landscape. With her expertise in American domestic architecture and historic preservation, Becky was drawn to the unique story of the boardinghouse turned artists’ colony. Over her five-year tenure, she made significant strides in advancing the museum’s community engagement and financial stability. Becky’s accomplishments include the development of a five-year strategic 72 slmag.net
plan, the establishment of an artist-in-residence program, and the completion of the $1 million Robert F. Schumann Artists’ Trail. Of course, no one expected a pandemic to interject itself into the museum’s upward momentum. “The trail became a central engagement point, welcoming the community to explore the surrounding ecology, natural history, and land conservation.” Also, says Becky, “Visitors could experience a greater diversity of museum experiences beyond the gallery walls, expanding the definition of what a museum could be for its community.” Becky is bringing this same energy and strategic vision to her new role as president and CEO of the Taft Museum of Art. Leaving the Flo Gris—as the Florence Griswold Museum is affectionately called—was a bittersweet decision for Becky. But in Cincinnati, the appeal was multifaceted. She is right at home, quite literally, leading Ohio’s premier historic house, art museum, and landmark. But after fifteen years on the East Coast, Becky and her husband, Patrick, were excited to return to the Midwest to be closer to family in a city that offers a culturally rich place to grow their own roots.
