After an eight-month national search, the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in Great Falls has officially named Tracy Cosgrove as its new Executive Director.
“It’s such an important cultural asset to Great Falls and to the state of Montana,” Cosgrove says, “And it's really poised to do some wonderful and great things, so I'm really excited to be part of that future.”
Cosgrove brings more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, with a background that spans arts administration, finance, development, and community engagement. Most recently, she served as Finance Director at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts and previously worked at the Missoula Art Museum.
During the transition, Nicole Evans has filled the role of Interim Executive Director, in addition to her responsibilities as Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs.
She said the search process involved collaboration across staff, board members, and the wider community to narrow down exactly what kind of leadership the museum needs right now.
Evans says, “At the top of the list was somebody who was very institutionally savvy, someone who understands the need for developing relationships to increase support, was able to understand nonprofit budgets, and somebody who has a strong presence in the Montana art community already.”
She added, “What I know about Tracy is excellence, her ability to really engage with communities, and her interest in finding ways to improve the institution.”
Cosgrove says she’s eager to help the museum grow its reach while keeping its core mission at the center, saying, “This really is kind of the funding and supporting art at its source, with the young people and artists. I'm very excited to be working with the Square to really go to that next level and make more of an impact with all of the programmatic and educational offerings.”
She also emphasized the importance of accessibility and inclusiveness in the museum’s future, saying “It does make Great Falls more connected when those opportunities are available, and really, are available for free.”
Cosgrove officially starts her new role on July 1.
The museum is at 1400 First Avenue North; click here to visit the website.
