by Paddy Johnson on September 29, 2014
I first heard of Thomas & Associates in 2001. I had just finished grad school and was looking for work. A professor who was friends with the company’s current president, Geri Thomas, told me I should check out the art recruiting and consulting firm. I sent out a resume to them and never heard back.
I now see that as a sign of a good recruiter. I had no experience or particular aptitude for commercial arts administration, and that would have been clear from even a quick look at my resume.
Founded in 1999—just two years prior to my own discovery of the firm—Thomas & Associates provides staffing, consulting and professional development seminars exclusively for arts and culture. The company has taken on top-tier clients like the Studio Museum, James Cohan Gallery, and Sean Kelly. Thomas herself has taught arts administration at NYU since 2002, and helped to create a certificate program at the university in Art Collections Management and Display. Prior to that time, Thomas owned a gallery, worked in PR for Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum, and held the Director of Exhibitions and Collections position at the Jewish Museum.
13 years after my original application, I reached out to her again. I wanted to know what recruiting firms do, between fielding grad student resumes and helping museums put on major exhibitions. Now that I’m a blogger, I finally get to find out what happens behind the scenes at the offices of Thomas & Associates.
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by Paddy Johnson and Corinna Kirsch on January 8, 2014
According to the Times, the last time it was this cold in the city on Jan. 7th was 1896. Got that? It hasn’t been this cold in 117 years. Now for the news:
- It’s time to dust off your vocal cords and try out for The Bruce High Quality Foundation University’s spring musical adaptation of “West Side Story.” Seriously you are not too old to flutter about a stage in spandex. Choreographers, lighting designers, and props managers positions will need to be filled, too, so there’s bound to be a role that suits you. [BHQFU]
- In case you missed it: Angry Birds, now a perfume. [Fragrantica via Kaela Noel]
- Art critic Jonathan Jones makes another half-assed argument. He got a Playstation for Christmas and he still thinks video games are not art. Why? “Electronic games offer a rich and spectacular entertainment, but why do they need to be anything more than fun? Why does everything have to be art?” Those are questions, not reasons. [The Guardian]
- “So when is it time to say ‘farewell to dance’?” asks Yvonne Rainer, grande dame of conceptual dance, film, and performance. She discusses accommodating older dancers (like herself). [MIT Press]
- Coco Fusco is now dressing up like Dr. Zira from Planet of the Apes; most recently she gave a lecture in full-costume at the Studio Museum for their showing of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art. [Daily Serving]
- Marlise Munoz is brain dead and on life support, and despite her stated wishes, John Peter Smith Hospital in Austin Texas won’t end her life. She was 14 weeks pregnant and the hospital claims that taking her off they would be violating Texas law. [The New York Times]
- The New York Times has redesigned! And the verdict is good. No more endless scrolling with the dim hope of navigating your way to the arts section. The website now has a header menu. [The Internet]
- Happy 65th Birthday to the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston! [CAMH]
- Damien Hirst made a Mickey Mouse painting (made out of dots, of course) for an upcoming Christie’s charity auction. The painting is … underwhelming. [The Telegraph]
- LUX, in Dalston, London is looking for a new Distribution Co-ordinator. Deadline for apps is Monday, January 13th. [LUX]
- It’s time to dust off your vocal cords and try out for The Bruce High Quality Foundation University’s spring musical adaptation of “West Side Story.” Seriously you are not too old to flutter about a stage in spandex. Choreographers, lighting designers, and props managers positions will need to be filled, too, so there’s bound to be a role that suits you. [BHQFU]
- In case you missed it: Angry Birds, now a perfume. [Fragrantica via Kaela Noel]
- Art critic Jonathan Jones makes another half-assed argument. He got a Playstation for Christmas and he still thinks video games are not art. Why? “Electronic games offer a rich and spectacular entertainment, but why do they need to be anything more than fun? Why does everything have to be art?” Those are questions, not reasons. [The Guardian]
- “So when is it time to say ‘farewell to dance’?” asks Yvonne Rainer, grande dame of conceptual dance, film, and performance. She discusses accommodating older dancers (like herself). [MIT Press]
- Coco Fusco is now dressing up like Dr. Zira from Planet of the Apes; most recently she gave a lecture in full-costume at the Studio Museum for their showing of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art. [Daily Serving]
- Marlise Munoz is brain dead and on life support, and despite her stated wishes, John Peter Smith Hospital in Austin Texas won’t end her life. She was 14 weeks pregnant and the hospital claims that taking her off they would be violating Texas law. [The New York Times]
- The New York Times has redesigned! And the verdict is good. No more endless scrolling with the dim hope of navigating your way to the arts section. The website now has a header menu. [The Internet]
- Happy 65th Birthday to the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston! [CAMH]
- Damien Hirst made a Mickey Mouse painting (made out of dots, of course) for an upcoming Christie’s charity auction. The painting is … underwhelming. [The Telegraph]
- LUX, in Dalston, London is looking for a new Distribution Co-ordinator. Deadline for apps is Monday, January 13th. [LUX]
Read the full article →
