National Museum of Wildlife Art Draws Top Fundraising Talent from the Land of Enchantment
Jackson Hole, WY (PRWEB) June 20, 2014 -- How do the best get better? The distinguished National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyo., has named Ann Scheflen as its new Director of Development and Marketing – a scant month after the art repository earned the 2014 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence. An acclaimed local landmark, the museum sought someone to creatively further its distinctive and longstanding mission to explore the relationship between humanity and wildlife through art.
“Ann comes to us with an accomplished career in the field and is well-known for her creative approaches to connecting the public with their museums,” said James McNutt, president and CEO of the museum. “We look forward to watching her ideas in action.”
Scheflen spent 15 years as vice president of development at the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, which includes the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, the New Mexico History Museum and the Museum of International Folk Art.
"I have a genuine passion for museums and for the American West," says Scheflen. "At their core, development and marketing are about sharing the importance of your mission and bringing others on board with your cause. I cannot imagine a more important calling right now than helping others to appreciate nature through wildlife art. I am thrilled to be here."
Scheflen comes to Jackson from Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to her work with the Museum of New Mexico, she recently attained the CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) credential for longstanding dedication to the profession and demonstrated fundraising achievement. Scheflen’s expertise includes all aspects of private giving, corporate and foundation grant making, sponsorship and resource development, as well as marketing, advertising, and public relations and branding. She is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, the Art Museum Development Association and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
“We are very pleased to have Ann's extensive museum and fundraising experience on our team,” says McNutt, “and her quick grasp of the situation, friendly and articulate demeanor, and willingness to jump into the work are already benefiting the museum.”
Scheflen quite literally moved from the Land of Enchantment to a land equally, if not more enchanting. One need only walk along the museum’s three-quarter-mile Sculpture Trail, designed by award-winning landscape architect, Walter Hood, to appreciate the Jackson Hole institution’s close connection to nature. Wild animals sculpted in bronze and stone line the walk, and as the seasons change, so do some of the exhibits.
Inside the museum, a new exhibition, “Harmless Hunter: The Wildlife Work of Charles M. Russell,” is on display through August 17, before beginning a traveling schedule that moves next to the Corning, N.Y., Rockwell Museum.
Presently, the museum also is exhibiting a striking “Conservation Gallery” show, exploring conservation themes through the work of artists from the 1800s through the present. The exhibit runs through August 24.
The Museum claims a permanent collection of over 5,000 cataloged items, featuring paintings, sculpture, and works on paper by over 100 distinguished artists ranging from early American Tribes through contemporary masters. It blends its permanent and temporary exhibitions with innovative educational and scholarly programs, tantalizing students with art appreciation, art history, natural science, creative writing, and American history.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art has become a key education and meeting center to Jackson Hole. In 1994, it received the Wyoming Humanities Award for exemplary efforts in fostering the humanities in Wyoming. In 2008, the U.S. Congress designated it the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States. And in 2012, Walter Hood’s Sculpture Trail was completed. More than 80,000 people, including more than 10,000 children visit the museum each year, often as part of their school curricula.
About the National Museum of Wildlife Art:
A member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and the Museums West consortium and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum, officially designated the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States by an act of Congress in 2008, provides an exciting calendar of exhibitions from its permanent collection and educational programs that inspire an appreciation for and knowledge of humanity’s relationship with nature. A complete schedule of exhibitions and events is available online at http://www.wildlifeart.org. The museum is also active on Facebook and on Twitter at @WildlifeArtJH.
Contacts:
Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla(at)wordenpr(dot)com; Ann Scheflen, National Museum of Wildlife Art Director of Development and Marketing, ascheflen(at)wildlifeart(dot)org
Darla Worden, WordenGroup, http://www.wordenpr.com, +1 307.734.5335, [email protected]
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