Executive Director

The Executive Director of the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum (Myrtle Beach Art Museum) will have a significant opportunity to lead one of Myrtle Beach’s most distinctive cultural assets into a new era of artistic excellence, regional visibility, and community impact. This role will represent a major career opportunity for a visionary arts leader seeking to shape the future of a growing art museum, elevate its role in the cultural life of the region, and make a lasting impact on Myrtle Beach’s arts scene. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, staff, artists, donors, civic leaders, and community partners, the Executive Director will provide strategic and hands-on leadership for the Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s artistic direction, exhibitions, collections, community engagement, institutional growth, fundraising, operations, facilities, and public engagement. This leader will strengthen the Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s financial sustainability through grant writing, donor cultivation, fundraising events, and contributed income strategies while fostering a culture of excellence, communication, respect, accountability, and trust among a dedicated staff and volunteer team.

As the Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s primary ambassador, the Executive Director will deepen relationships with residents, visitors, schools, libraries, veterans’ programs, artists, and community organizations, ensuring the Myrtle Beach Art Museum will continue to thrive as a high-quality art museum, a welcoming civic gathering place, and a catalyst for creativity across the region. With strong programs, dedicated stakeholders, and substantial potential for expanded visibility and influence, the Myrtle Beach Art Museum will offer its next Executive Director the opportunity to build on a solid foundation while advancing a bold, inclusive, and art-driven vision for the museum’s future.

Roles and Responsibilities

Fundraising and Financial Oversight

• Strengthen Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s financial position through effective fundraising strategies, donor cultivation, grant writing, contributed income growth, and responsible fiscal stewardship.
• Develop and monitor annual budgets in partnership with Board leadership and outside accounting support, ensuring clear reporting, accountability, and the efficient use of resources.
• Advance short- and long-term fundraising plans that reflect the realities of a tourist-based economy while expanding support from individuals, corporations, foundations, government sources, and special events.
• Lead or support fundraising events, funding applications, donor stewardship, and other financial oversight responsibilities that advance Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s goals and long-term needs.
• Embrace other fundraising and financial oversight responsibilities as needed.

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s strategic vision in partnership with the Board of Trustees, ensuring alignment with Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s mission, values, artistic excellence, and community role.
• Advance Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s exhibitions, collections, facilities, education programs, community partnerships, and visitor experience in ways that strengthen its identity as a regional art museum.
• Guide institutional growth, financial strategy, and public visibility while supporting high-quality national, international, regional, and local exhibitions.
• Provide creativity, vision, collaboration, and sound stewardship to increase visitation, deepen engagement, and position Myrtle Beach Art Museum for long-term relevance and impact.
• Embrace other strategic leadership responsibilities as needed.

Personnel and Facilities Management

• Provide effective leadership for staff and volunteers, fostering a workplace culture grounded in excellence, communication, collaboration, accountability, and community service.
• Oversee staffing, policies, procedures, compliance, internal communication, and organizational systems that support the effective operation of Myrtle Beach Art Museum.
• Manage Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s historic building, facilities, and physical plant needs while planning responsibly for future space and operational requirements.
• Support staff capacity, delegation, recognition, and professional development while ensuring appropriate coordination among staff, Board leadership, partners, and civic stakeholders.
• Embrace other personnel and facilities management responsibilities as needed.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s primary ambassador to donors, members, artists, visitors, civic leaders, cultural partners, and the broader Myrtle Beach community.
• Strengthen Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s role as a regional cultural resource by building relationships with local residents, tourists, artists, schools, libraries, veterans’ programs, community organizations, and civic stakeholders.
• Promote accessibility, public awareness, and community connection while defining Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s evolving role in the arts and culture of the region.
• Support education, outreach, artist engagement, and community partnerships in ways that are connected to Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s exhibitions, collections, artistic vision, and public impact.
• Embrace other community and stakeholder engagement responsibilities as needed.

Board Relations and Governance

• Partner closely with the Board of Trustees to support strong governance, accountability, communication, and implementation of institutional priorities.
• Engage Board members in fundraising, donor cultivation, events, advocacy, and shared responsibility for Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s future.
• Provide clear and respectful leadership that supports effective Board-staff relationships, role clarity, realistic planning, and thoughtful decision-making.
• Support the continued development of governance practices, policies, and structures that meet Myrtle Beach Art Museum’s current needs and future aspirations.
• Embrace other Board relations and governance responsibilities as needed.

Compensation

The Myrtle Beach Art Museum provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with an estimated salary range of $95,000 to $125,000. Benefits include salary support that incorporates 100% of the cost of health insurance benefits, 10 paid days off with additional days accrued based on tenure, and eight paid holidays.

Requirements

A minimum of five years of leadership experience in an arts and culture organization is required. A bachelor’s degree in art, art history, history, museum studies, business, or finance is ideal, and a master’s degree is preferred. Training and/or experience in management, finance, investment, and fundraising practices is required. Familiarity with the museum profession, best practices, and standards of the field, including Museum Accreditation standards, is highly desirable, alongside knowledge of legal issues surrounding museum practice; methods, procedures, and regulations related to Federal and State grants; methods and procedures related to corporate and nonprofit foundation grants; historic preservation; and relevant tax law and compliance issues. A candidate who does not meet all the qualifications but possesses transferable or equivalent skills, experience, or education is encouraged to inquire or apply and to highlight those areas in their cover letter.

Application Instructions

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit this page.