Bennington Museum Appoints Martin Mahoney as Executive Director

Martin Mahoney Bennington Museum Executive Director

Bennington Museum has selected Martin Mahoney as Executive Director, following an executive search process led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG). He began his tenure on September 8, 2021.

With more than 20 years of museum leadership experience, Mr. Mahoney has held numerous leadership positions at the Norman Rockwell Museum, including Director of Curatorial Operations, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, and Manager of Collections and Registration. Serving as a member of the museum’s executive team, he was responsible for managing the museum’s national and international traveling and onsite exhibitions, fundraising and budgeting on the institutional level, managing multiple departments, overseeing the preservation and operational management of the museum’s historical buildings, and participating as a key stakeholder in the institutional strategic planning for the museum’s expansion. Mr. Mahoney has also held positions as Collections Manager, Asian Export Arts Department at the Peabody Essex Museum.

Mr. Mahoney has curated numerous exhibitions, including Journey: David Macaulay (2019), Perspective and Place: Thomas W. Barrett’s Hudson River Valley (2016), and Mort Künstler: The Art of Adventure (2014). A member of the Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Mr. Mahoney has served as the chapter Vice Chair and Chair. He has also previously sat on the boards of the Williamstown Art Conservation Center and the Massachusetts State House Art Commission. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Castleton State University, a master of arts degree in public history from the State University of New York at Albany, and a master of business administration degree from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Mr. Mahoney also participated in the prestigious Getty Leadership Institute, now the Museum Leadership institute, in 2019.

In making the announcement, Chair of the Board of Trustees Consie West said, “I am delighted to welcome Martin Mahoney as our next Executive Director and look forward to working with him and introducing him to our community.”

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work at such a fantastic institution with an exceptional staff and a very engaged board,” said Mr. Mahoney. “I’m eager to become a participant in the local community and contribute to the continued growth of the museum, the vibrant town of Bennington, and to strive to make the museum a warm and welcoming place for all.”

“Congratulations to Bennington Museum, as well as its board and staff, on the appointment of Martin Mahoney as its new Executive Director,” said ACG Senior Vice President Wyona Lynch-McWhite. “Mr. Mahoney brings a balance of professional expertise, credibility, interpersonal skills, and commitment to internal and external stakeholder satisfaction, which will serve Bennington Museum well as it continues on a path of institutional excellence.”

September 2021

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