by Richard Gleaves

Phenomena

• In the past decade at least 20 different art museums have been without directors at any given time

• New directors are often recruited from other museums, creating new job vacancies

• Many sought-after museum director positions remain unfilled, some for as long as a year
  

Causes

• An unprecedented increase in the number of art museums

• A large number of museum directors reaching retirement age

• Little emphasis on succession planning by museum boards
  

Consequences

• Decreases in the average tenure of museum directors

• Increases in the time required to fill empty directorships

• Directors surfing the demand/supply asymmetry for prestige and higher pay
  

Source