A year after taking over as director and CEO of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Adam Levine will leave the institution April 24.
Levine will return to Toledo, Ohio, to take over as the director of the Toledo Museum of Art, where he previously served as deputy director and curator of ancient art. He was at the Toledo Museum of Art from 2013 to 2018.
Levine will be part of a transition plan that the Cummer Museum’s board of trustees will develop for the next 90 days. When selecting Levine, the museum appointed a committee to conduct an 18-month nationwide search. In that time, COO Holly Keris served as acting director of the museum.
Plans to search for a replacement haven’t been finalized.
Levine, whose title is the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens George and Kathleen Gibbs director and CEO, will begin his new post as the Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey director of the Toledo Museum of Art in May.
Levine began his work with the Cummer Museum in October 2018 and assumed the role as director and CEO in January 2019.
Under his leadership, the Cummer Museum’s attendance and membership increased, it expanded educational offerings, developed a strategic plan, reconstructed its gardens damaged during Hurricane Irma and initiated programs to increase accessibility in the museum.
Levine oversaw several acquisitions and loans, which included contemporary Native American basketry, historic African sculpture, ancient Roman materials and abstract expressionist paintings.
“It has been a privilege to lead the Cummer Museum and to partner with its inspiring board, donors, staff and volunteers on a variety of dynamic initiatives that moved the institution forward,” Levine said in a statement. “I have loved my time in this community and am grateful for the warmth with which I was received and for the embrace of the Cummer Museum’s vision.”
Pam Paul, chair of the museum’s board of trustees, said while Levine would be missed, the museum will continue to be “committed to sustaining excellence throughout our galleries, gardens, exhibitions and programming, and we will continue to honor our long history of engaging and inspiring our community.”
“We are grateful to Adam for his visionary leadership in creating new experiences focused on quality, access and fun for all ages and interests to enjoy,” Paul said in a statement. “We wish him all the best in Toledo.”