Read the Case Study Turnaround and Transformation: Leadership and Risk at Bostons Institute of Contemporary Art

1.) Why was establishing a contemporary art museum in Boston difficult?

2.) What are some reasons why the search committee hired Jill Medvedow?

3.) Why do you think being on the outside of the world of museum directors was a selling point

for the search committee when hiring Jill?

4.) What were a few reasons why the ICA was striving to be marginal

5.) Why is a permanent collection important for an Art museum?

6.) What were the key questions asked by the Business Planning Group in regard to growing and expanding the ICA?

7.) A.) How did Jill persuade Ed Sidman (the Real Estate Developer and Philanthropist) to help her find a location for the ICA?

B.) What general lessons does this anecdote hold for trying to persuade and motivate people in

general?

8.) When Jill had to hire a director of development and was looking to recruit Paul Bessire, the

MFAs (Museum of Fine Arts) marketing director, how was she able to recruit Paul? How is this

similar to the way she persuaded Ed Sidman to help her?

9.) A.) Summarize how the ICAs selection of architects was different than the usual way these

institutions select architects.

B.) Consider Exhibit 2: Goals and Criteria for the New ICA (presented at the end of the Case

Study). Can you think of any other goals or criteria that you would add?

10.) Explain the rationale for the decision to hire Diller + Scofidio as architect for the ICA; i.e., what made them different from the architects that were not chosen?

11.) The case ends on a high note, with the museum managing to sustain a high number of visitors, even after its first year. What do you think the challenges will be going forward? How do you think the ICA can overcome these challenges?