In 1883, a group of Indianapolis citizens, led by educator and activist May Wright Sewall, formed the Art Association of Indianapolis with the goal “to cultivate and advance Art in all its branches.” Over the past 140 years, the organization has evolved from the Art Association of Indianapolis to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, in 1969, to Newfields, in 2017. The institution has moved locations, increased educational programming, and expanded its art and horticultural collections. At the heart of these changes is the organization’s commitment to May Wright Sewall’s legacy of forward thinking around education, equality, social reform, and art and culture.
Thanks to the generosity of philanthropists like the Lilly family, Newfields today stands as one of the largest and most renowned centers for nature and the arts in the country, far surpassing anything the Art Association’s founders could have imagined. With a $35M annual budget, $90M in buildings and land assets, over $350M in endowment assets, an art collection consisting of 43,000 works, and over 300 skilled employees, interns, and fellows across various areas including advancement, conservation, education, natural resources, and public programming, Newfields proudly serves over 650,000 people each year. Specific components of its 152-acre campus include:
The Indianapolis Museum of Art (“IMA”): IMA is Indianapolis’ premier art museum and is among the ten largest and longest operating art museums in the nation with a world class collection of 43,000 works of art. The IMA collection traces the history of art around the globe, from antiquity to the present day. In addition to its permanent collection, the IMA boasts a robust program of special art exhibitions. In 2021, IMA opened its award-winning, 30,000-sq-ft, permanent immersive gallery for digital projections of art: The Lume.
The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: Situated in the heart of Indianapolis, Fairbanks Park is 100 acres of managed natural land. This rural oasis features a living sculpture park focused on experimentation, public interaction, and community engagement. It also includes a 35-acre lake, woodlands, wetlands, and the largest native pollinator meadow in Indianapolis. Last year, Newfields announced a new series of outdoor public art installations where guests can immerse themselves in art and nature in the newly-endowed Hawryluk Sculpture Green in the heart of the park.
The Garden: The Garden features 52 acres of contemporary and historic gardens, including the National Historic Landmark Oldfields, Lilly House and Gardens, complete with a working greenhouse and an orchard. Visitors can enjoy the seasons as they transition, and discover multiple gardens made up of living collections and seasonal displays. Lilly House, a National Historic Landmark, is an exemplary example of a 20th century, French-inspired country estate. The Lilly family donated the 56 acres to the Art Association of Indianapolis in 1967 to build an art museum and become what is known as Newfields today.
The Miller House and Garden in Columbus, IN: Miller House and Garden extends outside of Indianapolis, as one of the nation’s most highly regarded examples of mid-century Modernist architecture and landscape. In 2000, the Miller House became the first National Historic Landmark to receive its designation while one of its designers, Dan Kiley, was still living, and while still occupied by its original owners. The house showcases the work of leading 20th-century architects and designers Eero Saarinen, Alexander Girard, and Dan Kiley.
Newfields believes that art and nature play a pivotal role in shaping the collective future of humanity. To that end, Newfields engages, educates, and empowers the public to participate in enriching experiences in art and nature. It undertakes scholarly research, develops educational initiatives, creates museum exhibitions, and hosts public programming to advance new perspectives on invention and innovation and to foster interactions between the public and artists, scholars, and thought leaders. Newfields' leadership plans to develop the organization as a hub for testing bold new ideas and for reaching beyond traditional boundaries. With a Director of Learning and Innovation, Newfields will expand and enhance its reach and relevance, speaking to the issues of the day and the needs of the community, and ultimately changing lives for the better.
Scope and Responsibilities
The Director of Learning Innovation (“Director”) will serve as a key partner in invigorating a new educational vision and mission for all of Newfields, including the IMA and the Gardens. The Director will be the champion for new pathbreaking education, public programs, and community engagement efforts, overseeing all onsite, offsite, and digital educational and public programs; K-12 and university initiatives; scholarship and publications; professional development for Newfields fellows; studio classes; summer camps; and other learning and enrichment experiences for art and nature learners of all ages. The Director will lead the department staff, operations, and budgets; oversee research projects, public engagement for permanent and temporary exhibitions, public programs, and digital projects; participate in fundraising; and provide leadership for indoor and outdoor campus programming. The Director will lead a motivated staff and utilize partnerships across the organization to guide Newfields as a national leader in museum and botanical garden-based inspired learning.
Specific Responsibilities
Work collaboratively across museum and garden departments to lead a team of educators and programmers in the development, implementation and sustainability of dynamic and innovative interdisciplinary programming across the museum galleries, art studios, The Toby Theatre, outdoor amphitheater, gardens, and the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park, in addition to offsite programming.
Serve as the department’s liaison to the Executive Team and foster ongoing communication with the Executive Team and others to ensure smart, unique, and bold positioning of institutional efforts.
Develop an annual department budget that reflects Newfields’ and department priorities and monitors income and expense lines.
Supervise and support department staff, including the Director of Education and Director of Public Programming.
Using the Indiana Education Standards as a guide, develop programming that encourages teachers, students and schools to use Newfields as a learning lab and resource.
Cultivate and steward partnerships and collaborations with public and community organizations.
Embrace and model institutional mission, vision, and values. Provide leadership of Newfields’ diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts.
Assist the Advancement team in the identification and cultivation of private and public funding support for programming initiatives.
As Senior Staff team member, provide monthly reports and statistics, as requested.
Ensure that Newfields follows best practices set forth by American Alliance of Museums (AAM) standards and partner in the organization’s decennial process for reaccreditation by the AAM in 2025.
Stay current on best practices in the museum and museum teaching field, including VTS methodology.
Key Selection Criteria
The ideal candidate must be passionate about the power of museum, garden, object-based, and nature-based education and be committed to inspiring diverse audiences to explore interests in art and nature. This person must have demonstrated successful experience and expertise in leading-class multidisciplinary art education and engagement programming. This person must also possess superior leadership skills to manage a critically important department at a large, complex organization with a long history that is poised for enhanced impact and mission fulfillment. Other ideal qualifications include:
Fifteen or more years in nonprofit administration with progressively increased levels of responsibility; at least ten years managing the learning and enrichment programs of a museum or botanical garden or related experience.
A track record of achieving exceptional outcomes from a nonprofit arts and cultural organization’s education and engagement programming.
Senior-level planning capacity, particularly as it relates to the development, integration, and evaluation of collaborative learning and enrichment programs for a multi-layered organization.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Able to work well and collaborate effectively with a wide range of audiences including staff, volunteers, educators, funders, sponsors, members, general public and other constituencies.
Master’s degree in Art History, Art Education, Museum Studies or related field, along with sound knowledge of art history, museum teaching, and object interpretation strategies preferred.
Personal / Professional Attributes
Exhibits genuine commitment to Newfields’ mission, vision, and values.
Strives for excellence and holds self and others to high standards.
Innovative and entrepreneurial, constantly seeks creative and cutting-edge ideas and approaches.
Business savvy with a demonstrated ability to build and optimize revenue streams.
Sunny disposition with unrelenting enthusiasm.
Proactive in problem-solving, presents practical solutions to potential problems; designs and explores systems and procedures to fit current and long-term needs; anticipates and acts on events which may create opportunities.
Collegial and collaborative, holds the mission and goals of the institution above any personal agenda.
Comfortable with ambiguity; can pivot and adapt when needed.
Exceptional cultural competence and high emotional intelligence.
Unwavering personal integrity with ethics beyond reproach.
In 1883, a group of Indianapolis citizens, led by educator and activist May Wright Sewall, formed the Art Association of
Indianapolis with the goal “to cultivate and advance Art in all its branches.” Over the past 140 years, the organization has
evolved from the Art Association of Indianapolis to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, in 1969, to Newfields, in 2017. The
institution has moved locations, increased educational programming, and expanded its art and horticultural collections. At
the heart of these changes is the organization’s commitment to May Wright Sewall’s legacy of forward thinking around
education, equality, social reform, and art and culture.
Thanks to the generosity of philanthropists like the Lilly family, Newfields today stands as one of the largest and most
renowned centers for nature and the arts in the country, far surpassing anything the Art Association’s founders could have
imagined. With a $35M annual budget, $90M in buildings and land assets, over $350M in endowment assets, an art
collection consisting of 43,000 works, and over 300 skilled employees, interns, and fellows across various areas including
advancement, conservation, education, natural res...ources, and public programming, Newfields proudly serves over
650,000 people each year. Specific components of its 152-acre campus include:
The Indianapolis Museum of Art (“IMA”): IMA is Indianapolis’ premier art museum and is among the ten largest and
longest operating art museums in the nation with a world class collection of 43,000 works of art. The IMA collection traces
the history of art around the globe, from antiquity to the present day. In addition to its permanent collection, the IMA
boasts a robust program of special art exhibitions. In 2021, IMA opened its award-winning, 30,000-sq-ft, an immersive
gallery for digital projections of art: The Lume.
The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: Situated in the heart of Indianapolis, Fairbanks Park is 100 acres of
managed natural land. This rural oasis features a living sculpture park focused on experimentation, public interaction, and
community engagement. It also includes a 35-acre lake, woodlands, wetlands, and the largest native pollinator meadow in
Indianapolis. Last year, Newfields announced a new series of outdoor public art installations where guests can immerse
themselves in art and nature in the newly-endowed Hawryluk Sculpture Green in the heart of the park.
The Garden: The Garden features 52 acres of contemporary and historic gardens, including the National Historic
Landmark Oldfields, Lilly House and Gardens, complete with a working greenhouse and an orchard. Visitors can enjoy the
seasons as they transition, and discover multiple gardens made up of living collections and seasonal displays. Lilly House
is an exemplary example of a 20th century, French-inspired country estate. The Lilly family donated the 56 acres to the Art
Association of Indianapolis in 1967 to build an art museum and become what is known as Newfields today.
The Miller House and Garden in Columbus, IN: Miller House and Garden extends outside of Indianapolis, as one of the
nation’s most highly regarded examples of mid-century Modernist architecture and landscape. In 2000, the Miller House
became the first National Historic Landmark to receive its designation while one of its designers, Dan Kiley, was still living,
and while still occupied by its original owners. The house showcases the work of leading 20th-century architects and
designers Eero Saarinen, Alexander Girard, and Dan Kiley.
Newfields believes that art and nature play a pivotal role in shaping the collective future of humanity. To that end,
Newfields engages, educates, and empowers the public to participate in enriching experiences in art and nature. It
undertakes scholarly research, develops educational initiatives, creates museum exhibitions, and hosts public
programming to advance new perspectives on invention and innovation and to foster interactions between the public and
artists, scholars, and thought leaders. Newfields' leadership plans to develop the organization as a hub for testing bold
new ideas and for reaching beyond traditional boundaries. With a Director of Learning and Innovation, Newfields will
expand and enhance its reach and relevance, speaking to the issues of the day and the needs of the community, and
ultimately changing lives for the better.