Robin Nicholson has just been announced as The James Museum’s new Executive Director. He’s a Cambridge art historian and a ‘think outside the box’ kind of guy. With over 15 years of experience leading art museums across the country, officials with the institution are confident Nicholson will take the museum to new heights.
Starting June 1, 2023, Nicholson will lead the museum into the future with his imaginative ideas and extensive knowledge. He’s passionate about making art museums diverse, equitable, and inclusive institutions that reflect the communities they serve. He’s also committed to exploring issues of cultural appropriation and the interaction of Western and Indigenous artistic visions in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. We love that he’s dedicated to ensuring Indigenous voices are heard and their stories are told through The James Museum.
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The James Museum welcomes new voices, and ideas
“I am thrilled to join one of the most innovative museums on the East Coast, if not across North America. Tom and Mary James’ passion for western & wildlife art and their investment in a world-class collection, and a museum that acts as a remarkable and innovative architectural beacon for the city, demonstrates how St. Pete continues to become a cultural hub for Florida,” said Robin Nicholson, The James Museum Executive Director. “I look forward to continuing the legacy of Executive Director Laura Hine and her talented staff, the devoted board of trustees, our donors and supporters, and above all, Tom and Mary James and their family to ensure that the museum flourishes, grows and expands the horizons of its unique collections.”
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Robin as the new Executive Director of The James Museum,” said Museum Founder and Chairman, Tom James. “His level of expertise and working knowledge of modern museums is unparalleled. I am confident that his vision and passion for reimagining the museum experience and a museum’s role in the community will take The James Museum to new levels of success and elevate how people throughout Tampa Bay and beyond, view our institution.”
Experience the newest exhibition on view at the museum
Debbie Sokolov, the Director of Development at The James Museum since 2020, will serve as the Interim Executive Director. Sokolov has helped small and large nonprofits raise millions of dollars and holds a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration.
Now is a good time to visit the museum. The newest exhibition, The Stories They Tell: Indigenous Art and the Photography of Edward S. Curtis, is a captivating collection.
This unique exhibition examines the relationships between art and cultural identity by pairing the photographic images of Native American culture by Edward S. Curtis, with correlativeNative art. It’s presented in three sections: Southwest pottery and basketry, California basketry, and Northwest Coast carving and textiles, the show reflects on how objects harbor memories and tell stories about a time, a place, and a people.
See a full lineup of what’s happening at The James Museum on its website.
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