We partnered with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on the search for an Executive Director. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is a museum devoted to the art of the picture book and especially the children’s book.
Schantz, who was previously consulting for cultural organizations, was most recently the Barbara G. and Lawrence A. Fleischman Executive Director at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, an educational research and circulating library and museum of theatre, dance, music, and recorded sound. Her tenure began in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Together with William P. Kelly, the New York Public Library’s former Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries, and the performing arts library team, she developed a bold vision to reimagine the future of their institution to allow patrons access to their resources.
Under Schantz’s leadership, the library and museum grew its public profile, raised over $14 million dollars for strategic initiatives, and launched numerous innovative exhibitions, programs, and projects, including the Harvey Fierstein Theatre Lab, the largest outdoor reading room in New York City, and the blockbuster exhibition Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars in collaboration with multimedia artist Laurie Anderson. With performance spaces closed, artists urgently needed new ways to connect. The library launched the innovative “Tech Kits for Performing Artists” initiative, so performers could borrow hardware and software and publish their works online, giving artists in need a voice at an especially crucial time.
Prior, Schantz played a number of key executive roles at the New-York Historical Society, including Acting Museum Director, Acting Director of the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, Acting Director of Development, Secretary to the Board of Trustees, and—ultimately—Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In that role, she oversaw the museum’s day-to-day operational and administrative activities, including major capital projects. Throughout her tenure, she led a team of more than 80 staff members and multiple departments, including curatorial, exhibition design, collections management, visitor services, legal, labor relations, human resources, maintenance, and security.
She is from a long line of musicians and is classically trained on flute and piccolo.
Schantz attended the Juilliard Pre-College and holds a BA in international relations from Tufts University. She received her JD from the University of Buffalo School of Law.
Read the press release: https://www.carlemuseum.org/about/news-press/carle-welcomes-new-executive-director-jennifer-schantz