More Blaffer Blah-blah

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



David L. Vollmer Joins Blaffer Gallery as Deputy Director

Vollmer, Claudia Schmuckli Appointed as Interim Leadership Team




HOUSTON, Texas (Feb. 21, 2008) - Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston, is pleased to announce that David L. Vollmer has joined the Blaffer staff as deputy director.

Vollmer, who last served as the director of the Sheldon Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Ind. from July 2001 to January 2008, has substantial experience that will play a key role as the museum moves forward with its long-term goals. As director of the Swope, Vollmer supervised the activity within an organization similar in size to Blaffer. Most notably, he oversaw the completion of a major facilities renovation. In his new post, Vollmer will oversee finance and administration and will work closely with the advisory board on strategic long-range planning.

Beginning April 1, Vollmer will assume the position of acting director of Blaffer Gallery. That vacancy results from the departure of Terrie Sultan, who leaves the museum at the end of March to become director of the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, N.Y. As acting director, Vollmer will lead the museum during this important transitional phase. Claudia Schmuckli, curator, will move into the role of acting chief curator to oversee the museum's ambitious exhibition and publication schedule. In the meantime, a search committee headed by Blaffer Advisory Board emeritus Shirley Rose, Board Chair Russell Sherrill and College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Dean John Antel will conduct a national search for a new artistic and administrative director.

"Terrie is leaving the museum in competent hands with David at the helm while we search for the future director," said Sherrill. "Today, Blaffer Gallery is at the best in its 35-year history, and its contributions to the arts and our community only will increase in the coming years."

About Blaffer Gallery:
Founded in 1973, Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston, was named in honor of the late Sarah Campbell Blaffer, a noted Houston arts patron and collector. Since its inception, the museum has been a vital force in the presentation and promotion of contemporary visual arts in Houston. Blaffer Gallery is located in the Fine Arts Building on the University of Houston's central campus, entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard. It is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sundays, Mondays and University holidays. The museum is ADA compliant. For general inquiries, please call 713.743.9530, or visit the museum online at www.blaffergallery.org.

Media Contact:
For more information on this story, please contact Jeffrey Bowen, assistant director of external affairs, at 713.743.9528, or via e-mail at jbowen2@uh.edu.


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Alot of people are asking, will the next Director actually care about the School of Art and its students? Does anyone else here have anything to say about this criticism of outgoing Terrie Sultan? Is it fair or unfair?