The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lakeland, FL
Application Deadline: November 7, 2025
The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (The AGB), formerly the Polk Museum of Art, at Florida Southern College (FSC) seeks an Executive Director to provide visionary leadership and strategic direction, advancing the Museum’s mission as a distinguished academic and cultural resource for the College and surrounding community. Following a recent 14,000-square-foot expansion, The AGB offers enhanced exhibition galleries and dedicated spaces for education and public programming, positioning it for a new and exciting era of growth and innovation guided by the Museum’s recently completed strategic plan.
FSC has retained a national executive-recruiting firm, Museum Search & Reference, to help guide its search.
Reporting directly to the College President, the Executive Director will oversee all aspects of the Museum’s operations, including curatorial vision, educational initiatives, community engagement, and collection stewardship, and provide guidance on acquisitions of The AGB’s Acquisitions Committee. This leader will also work collaboratively with campus and community partners to integrate the Museum’s resources into the academic life of the College, while expanding its reach and impact throughout the broader region. The AGB maintains a strong commitment to community engagement, with long-standing area partnerships, including K-12 schools and educators. The Executive Director will be expected to sustain and strengthen these connections, ensuring the Museum remains a vital cultural and educational resource for all academic and community audiences.
This role includes managing a dedicated team of thirteen staff and overseeing an annual budget of approximately $2 million. This position carries significant fundraising responsibilities. Together with The AGB’s Board, the Executive Director will take an active role in external funding, working collaboratively with and supported by FSC’s advancement and marketing offices.
About Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a nationally recognized private college that remains grounded in its liberal arts heritage. Known for its commitment to engaged learning and outstanding faculty mentorship, academic offerings feature bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, including an undergraduate major in Art History and Museum Studies. Consistently ranked among the top regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, FSC is home to one of the largest collections of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world and is a proud member of the Associated Colleges of the South. Located in Lakeland, Florida, between Orlando and Tampa, the College offers its 3,300 students access to a region rich in cultural and professional opportunities. With a strong emphasis on experiential education and a vibrant campus culture, the College prepares students to make a positive and consequential impact in their communities and professions.
About The AGB
“The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (The AGB) at Florida Southern College is an academic and community museum that engages audiences of all ages with world-class exhibitions, programs, and experiences: the Museum offers avenues for lifelong learning and ways to see and reflect on our shared world through art and visual culture in new and innovative ways” (2025 AGB Mission Statement).
As an academic museum and cultural cornerstone of the FSC campus and surrounding community, The AGB offers a dynamic schedule of rotating exhibitions and a robust schedule of classes, workshops, lectures, tours and concerts. A significant permanent collection that contains over 3,400 works of art, including pieces by Rembrandt van Rijn, Pablo Picasso, Jose de Creeft, Andy Warhol, Dale Chihuly, and Faith Ringgold. This diverse and expanding collection includes modern and contemporary American art and international works, European and American drawings and prints, European Old Master paintings, photography, and design and decorative arts objects.
With origins dating to 1966, what began as an independent, community-initiated effort has grown in the decades since, earning and maintaining American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accreditation since 1983, and joining the Smithsonian Institution alliance in 2010. In 2017, the Museum officially affiliated with FSC, and a new 14,000-square-foot wing debuted in 2025. With this latest expansion, the facility now encompasses 50,000 square feet providing spacious multiuse galleries, inviting social spaces, and classrooms outfitted with the latest educational technologies. Building on these enhanced resources and spaces, the AGB works closely with numerous academic departments across the College – including Art History and Museum Studies, Art Education, Visual Arts, Chemistry, and the new School of Architecture, among others – to foster interdisciplinary teaching, learning, and research.
The AGB’s exhibition program is developed by the Executive Director with the curatorial team, focusing primarily on thematic presentations from the permanent collection enhanced by local and national loans. Examples include The Highwaymen, a revolving show of works by a group of African American artists who painted Florida landscapes starting in the 1950s, and Before & After: Guilio Carpioni’s “Four Seasons of Man” that celebrates the recent conservation of a cycle of Italian Baroque paintings. Recent traveling exhibitions include Dutch Impressionism: The Hague School, organized by the Hoogsteder Museum Foundation; Rodin at The AGB, featuring some of the sculptor’s monumental works on loan from the Cantor Foundation; and The Medici Dynasty: Renaissance in Florence (forthcoming) with paintings and artifacts from the Stibbert Museum in Florence. An AGB-originated major show, Frank Lloyd Wright & The College of Tomorrow, reflects an eight-year project in collaboration with restoration architects for Wright buildings on FSC’s campus that will tour nationally after its Lakeland exhibition through November 2025.
Opportunities
Direct the dedicated and creative staff, eager to achieve goals as a team. Engage with them and College collaborators in an operational assessment to consider organizational strategies and alignments that build institutional strength.
Ensure that well-established community relationships remain strong and campus relationships grow, while seeking pathways to advance and grow local engagement.
Prioritize the growth and diversification of innovative academic opportunities rooted in the Museum collection, programming, and expertise.
Engage the new School of Architecture and the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitors Center to co-create mutually beneficial initiatives serving students, faculty, and visitors.
Candidate Profile
While we recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for the role, the following outlines the attributes and background that represent the ideal candidate.
Professional Expertise and Museum Experience: Demonstrated success in professional practices and management of art museums through a relevant combination of skills, experiences, and education. Three to five years’ experience in museum leadership (or related field) in an academic museum is an asset. Familiarity with the tenets of professional practice in the field as articulated by the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries, and other related professional organizations.
Education: An advanced degree in art history, museum studies, arts administration, or related field. Equivalent professional experience and training will also be considered. Ph.D. preferred but not required.
Academic and Creative Vision: A deep appreciation for creativity and innovation, combined with an intellectually rigorous approach to developing exhibitions and educational programs. The successful candidate will bring an understanding of how to foster meaningful, interdisciplinary experiences within an academic environment.
Leadership and Organizational Development: Strategic management and inspirational leadership to guide and motivate staff, academic partners, and community collaborators. Ability to cultivate and nurture talent while fostering a collaborative culture of teamwork, professional growth, and excellence among staff, interns, volunteers, and other stakeholders.
Fundraising, Financial Oversight, and Resource Management: Demonstrated success in operational and departmental budgeting, long-term financial planning, and aligning strategic priorities with available resources. Experience developing and managing budgets, optimizing resource allocation, and contributing to institutional sustainability. A proven ability to support or lead fundraising efforts, including donor cultivation, grant writing, and collaboration with advancement staff.
Collaborative Partnership Development: Proven ability to establish and sustain complex relationships through clear, proactive communication and collaborative planning with key stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members, and external partners.
Cultural Awareness and Inclusive Engagement: A demonstrated commitment to inclusive representation across collections, exhibitions, public programs, and outreach efforts. A thoughtful and proactive approach to amplifying underrepresented artists, voices, and histories, ensuring the Museum reflects and engages the diverse communities it serves.
Institutional Representation and Public Engagement: Serve as the face of the Museum, representing its mission and programs on campus, with alumni, in the local community, and within regional and national museum networks. A compelling ambassador, fostering relationships that advance the Museum’s reputation, visibility, and influence.
How to Apply
To apply in confidence, submit application online at https://rcr.li/MEVH by November 7, 2025.
The AGB Museum at Florida Southern College strives to create an environment in which all visitors, volunteers, students, faculty, and employees experience a sense of belonging. All qualified applicants are welcome.
Compensation
$150,000 to $160,000 salary range
Competitive college benefit package, including 403b, medical and dental insurance, and reciprocal tuition exchange. Florida has no income tax.
A complete application should include:
A cover letter expressing interest in the position and giving brief examples of past related experience.
A résumé or C.V.
The names and contact information for three professional references able to evaluate the candidate’s leadership and work, indicating their relationship with the candidate.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. All applications and nominations are kept confidential; we will not contact references without your permission. EA/EO. For more details, visit: www.museum-search.com/open-searches.
Questions should be directed to Dana Friis-Hansen, Senior Search Consultant, Museum Search & Reference, via SearchandRef@museum-search.com.
Nominations are welcome.
About Lakeland
Located in the heart of Central Florida, Lakeland is a vibrant and welcoming city known for its historic charm, thriving arts scene, and many beautiful lakes. It is well situated an hour away from both Orlando and Tampa, offering easy access to major metropolitan resources while maintaining a unique, small-city character and close-knit community.
Offering a high-quality, affordable lifestyle for professionals and families, the vibrant, walkable downtown district offers locally owned shops, a diverse culinary scene, cozy gathering spots, and outdoor destinations like Bonnet Springs Park and Hollis Garden. Polk County Public Schools offer several magnet and choice schools that specialize in the arts, STEM, and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. Top-ranked private schools offer other options across educational philosophies.
Lakeland’s strong economy is supported by a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Major corporations such as Publix supermarkets, MidFlorida Credit Union, and Lakeland Regional Health have a positive presence alongside a burgeoning entrepreneurial scene through resources like Catapult Lakeland, a startup incubator, and COhatch Lakeland, a center city coworking space, already sparking a dramatic rise in the number of new businesses per year.
Lakeland offers a rich range of arts and cultural experiences in unique settings, such as concerts, live theatrical shows and classic films at the Polk Theatre, a downtown gem built in 1928. The Public Art Trail features over 30 colorful street art murals. For sports and recreation, there are various walking/biking loops, plus trails and wildlife viewing on 1,200 protected acres at Circle B Bar Reserve, fifteen minutes away. Family-friendly local parks and community centers offer recreational sports leagues, and Tampa and Orlando offer pro sports access to NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL experiences.
