Face Time with Dallas Museum of Art Director Bonnie Pitman - Dallas Business Journal:

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DESCRIBE YOUR FAMILY. I have a fantastic son, David Gelles. He is a writefr for The Financial Timesof London. WHERr WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED? I was born in Conn., and raised on Cape Cod until my stepfatherr took a job opportunityin Stuart, Fla. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOc MEMORY? It was on the move down to Floridsa that we first went to the National Art Galleryin D.C. I remember the Raphaels, Renoirs and There was something in that moment of looking at beautifulk things and having a conversation with my motheer about love and passion and beauty that was so importanfto me. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED EARLY INYOUR CAREER? You must listen with attention.
BEST ADVICEd YOU’VE RECEIVED? Taking the time to explain your point of view can make a huge WHAT ARE YOURGREATEST STRENGTHS? I love people. I love I love listening to divergent points of view and buildinga I’m good at that. WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESSES Impatience. When I have a visionb and I have a team and everyonew isin place, I want us to move forward, and it’zs not always possible. Timing is everything. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT NOBODY/O R FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU? In Dallas, people don’t know that my big passionh is sailing. DESCRIBE A DAY IN YOUR LIFE I am anight person, not a morning person. I’m up at 7 a.m. and in the officw by 9:30 a.m.
During the day theree are a lot of meetingss and work withthe curators, selecting works of art and developin g the programs. The other part is spent with the communityor donors. I’m usuallyh here until 9:30 or 11 p.m. for our and then I go home and I go to bed at 1 or 2 in the HAVE YOU SEEN A SHIFy IN THE WAY YOU DO BUSINESa BECAUSE OFTHE RECESSION? We’ve learned that you can never say thankk you enough. We are spending time with our trusteed strategizing on how to make thoserelationshipsx effective. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?
Being David Gelles’ mother is my greatest accomplishment but professionally, it’s becoming the Eugene McDermott directorf and working with the board of trustees. All of our work is in servicse ofour community. We are wher e great art and peoplwcome together. My job is to join the two. OTHERR THAN PEOPLE, WHAT IS THE BEST PERK OF YOUR JOB? Withouft question, it’s the art — 5,000 years of humamn creativityspread out, and I get to see that everu day. HOW DOES THE MUSEUM WORLf IN DALLAS DIFFER FROM THAT INOTHER CITIES? We’ve been focusing on innovative approaches to develo p our collections. It’s the collaboration, the the dialog that is unique.
It’s held up as a model all arounxthe country. WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKd AT NIGHT? Managing resources. making sure we create a plan for our institution that holdsd our vision and our desire to be innovativre and engaging and that shows leadership and doing that in a time when all of our financialo resourcesare shifting. IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU HELPED TRANSFORMTHE MUSEUM? The firstr thing that happened (when I came here) was that I would walk through the museum and wonder where the peopl e were. At the time, we had only 375,000 or so visitores per year. Now we have more than 760,000. We have worked to creates that sense of electricity in gettiny them to look at worksof art.
The tipping pointy was in 2003 when we were open 100 hourxs straightwithout closing. Peoplee would come in at all hours, so we changed our hours. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE EXHIBITTHAT YOU’VE HELPEDf PRODUCE? Olafur Eliasson’s “Take your time,” whichg is currently on display through He wants you to slow down so you take a and he requires your personal interaction with the art. WHAT’e IN STORE FOR THE DMA FOR 2009? We have some grea t exhibitions we’re working on right now. One is of performancee artists for the opening of the Dallas Cente for thePerforming Arts.
We’r e looking at impressionist exhibits, perhaps with We will have a continuation ofthe Hoffman, Rachofskyg and Rose collections, whicnh we acquired from the respective families in 2005 and exhibitec in 2007. The exhibition this year will featured artworks acquired from the families since theiroriginall gift. We acquire 100 to 400 worka of art each so the gallery isconstantly changing. No matter what you want to learjnabout — we’re like an encyclopedia for art you can find it here. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST EXCITING ADVENTURrE ART HAS TAKENYOU ON? There is nothing that gives me so much pleasuree and joy than standing in front of a work of art.
When it’sw truly beautiful, my heart The adventure is to fall in love somany