Art director tapped for national post
Terms to be served by Karen Brosius Present- December 6, 2006 December 6, 2006- December 6, 2011
By Rachel Haynie

Photo contributed by Columbia Museum of Art Karen Brosius (c), director of the Columbia Museum of Art, during the Pablo Picasso unveiling at the Columbia Museum of Art. Neal and Lois Zarelli lent the painting, Head of a Man, to the museum for one year.

Karen Brosius's in-terest in what grant awarders look for in museums and their programming just opened up to a whole new vista. The director of the Columbia Museum of Art has been appointed to the Board of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for a five year term.

Brosius, who came to her position of leadership with the city's art museum from a financial background, was notified recently the U.S. Senate had confirmed her ap-pointment.

She was nominated earlier in the year by President George W. Bush to serve out the remainder of a five-year term expiring December 6, 2006, then begin an additional five year term expiring December 6, 2011. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is a grant-making federal agency supporting museums and libraries of all types.

Her service will entail approximately three trips a year to Washington to review proposals for funding and a distribution of approximately $260 million annually.

"Before coming to the Columbia Museum of Art, I had worked in a corporate setting in which we did a good bit of funding for the arts so I knew and worked with arts leaders," said Brosius. Her professional friendship with Ann Radize may have led to her name appearing on the list of those being considered for an appointment with the prestigious institute.

"Ann was chair of the National Endowment for the Arts at that time, so we had opportunities to work together," Brosius said. Radize is now director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

"I think this opportunity to evaluate and review IMLS support will be most enlightening because of the institute's wonderful reputation in the field and its history of intelligent grant-making," said Brosius.

Brosius will work with a 24-member national board represented by a broad spectrum of expertise and interests. Her first revue session has not been scheduled yet.