Montgomery City Council Restores Museum’s Dual Governance Structure
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — The Montgomery City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to restore the dual governance structure between the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association and the City Museum Board, ending a two-year dispute over control of the museum.
The disagreement began in 2023 when the museum’s director was fired, sparking debate over who has authority over museum operations. The resolution returns the museum to a governance model that had been in place for more than 60 years.
“We’re just happy that they’ve seen the wisdom and they’re returning it to the way it’s been for over 60 years,” said Bill Ford, president of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Board.
A packed crowd at City Hall included museum docents, employees and longtime donors who attended the meeting to show support.
City Council President C.C. Calhoun assured the museum board that the restored structure would remain the governing model moving forward, according to Ford, who serves as president of the joint museum boards.
The governance dispute had prevented the museum from conducting a search for a new director, a position that has been vacant for two years.
“It completely stymied our ability to do a nationwide search for a qualified director because no search firm was going to bring somebody into a situation where everything was up in the air,” Ford said. “This removes any kind of uncertainty.”
Alice Novak, a consultant to the museum board, said the resolution will allow the institution to refocus on its mission.
“I’m just excited so we can start thinking about art again,” Novak said. “As we rebuild our staff, as we hire a director, as we all move forward together as a city, we are going to be able to reach so many more people than during this time that we’ve been trying to figure out how to move forward. It is just great to give that gift back to Montgomery.”
District 7 Councilman Andrew Szymanski said the council will monitor compliance with the new ordinance to ensure the governance structure functions as intended.
The museum board has been in discussions with the Kittleman Group, a Chicago-based search firm that specializes in museum professionals, to immediately begin the director search process. The agreement also provides funding to hire an interim director during the search.
Novak emphasized the diverse perspectives represented on the museum board from throughout the community.
“What’s different about our board compared to many other cities is the way we reflect who we are as a city,” she said. “There are so many different perspectives and views. We have artists and we have collectors. We really represent our whole community.”
