Benjamin T. Simons, 50, will join the museum on January 4, 2021. Simons has been the executive director of the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland, since 2016 (https://academyartmuseum.org). Before that, he worked for the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and for more than a decade at the Nantucket Historical Association in Massachusetts. Simons holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree in literature from Yale University, and a master’s degree in the history of art from the University of London’s Courtauld Institute of Art. He is a graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute.
Simons’ hiring, which came after a six-month executive search, was made official by Telfair’s board of trustees during a special meeting Oct. 30. Robert “Bob” Faircloth has served as Telfair’s acting director since the previous director departed in May and will continue in that role for the remainder of 2020.
“While his experience and qualifications are impressive,” said Dale Critz Jr., chairman of Telfair’s board of trustees, “what stood out to all of us during the hiring process was Ben’s passion for art and history, as well as his smart, genial, and outgoing personality. He and his wife, Alison, who is an artist, and their young son enjoyed a wonderful visit with us when Ben came to the museum for his final interview in October, and they’re really looking forward to becoming a part of our team and embracing our lifestyle here in Savannah.”
Telfair hired the firm Phillips Oppenheim to help conduct the search and formed a special search committee led by Critz and Swann Seiler that also included board members Faircloth, Jan Dorman, Josh Keller, Cyreia Sandlin, Vincent West, and community member Don Waters.
