Former Portland gallery owner and independent curator Andres Verzosa was hired as interim director of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art on Monday.

Verzosa, vice president of the museum board, begins his duties immediately. He replaces Ron Crusan, who resigned March 16 after directing the museum for seven years.

The museum opens for the season May 1. “My job is making the sure the museum operates smoothly,” Verzosa said.

Verzosa has to learn the day-to-day operation of the Shore Road museum. which has a projected operating budget of $660,000 and annual visitation of about 16,000 people. He is, however, familiar with the curatorial aspects of the museum. At Crusan’s invitation, Verzosa curated five photography shows last summer.

“That was a great experience and a great opportunity that Ron gave me last year,” he said. “Working with Ron and his staff on those shows was a lot of fun, and it prepared me for this opportunity.”

Verzosa operated Aucocisco Galleries in Portland for 15 years, closing in 2014. He serves on the boards of the Maine Historical Society in Portland and the Tides Institute and Museum of Art in Eastport. He lives in Connecticut and Portland.

Advertisement

Ogunquit opens its season with exhibitions of art by the late Bernard Langlais, Tom Butler and selections from the permanent collection. The summer show is an exhibition of paintings by Jamie Wyeth.

Meanwhile, the board is beginning a national search to replace Crusan. Verzosa is not a candidate for the permanent position, he said.

Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:

bkeyes@pressherald.com

Twitter: pphbkeyes


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: