MEDIA CONTACT: Charles R. Loebbaka at (847) 491-4887 or at c-loebbaka@northwestern.edu

May 23, 2002

Robertson Named Director of Block Museum

EVANSTON, Ill. --- David A. Robertson has been named director of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University, effective Aug. 1.

Robertson has served since 2000 as associate director of the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, where he oversaw fund-raising and the museum's finances; he also worked closely with the director on strategic and long-range planning, educational programming, exhibitions and acquisitions.

"David brings a broad and deep background that will be extremely valuable as the Block maintains its commitment to offering high quality programs while also expanding its outreach to the University and local communities," said Provost Lawrence Dumas. "We share the enthusiasm for his appointment expressed by the search committee and the various deans and other administrators who met with him during the search process."

Robertson will take over from Michael C. Weston, retired vice president and general counsel, who has served as interim director of the museum since Jan. 1. Dumas said, "We are grateful to Mike Weston for his service and are pleased that Mike and David will be able to work together on transition issues during the coming months."

Prior to his appointment at the Smart Museum, he served as director of the University of Oregon Museum of Art (1996-2000). Under his leadership, the museum reestablished its position in the Pacific Northwest as a center for the study of Asian art and culture and established new programmatic relationships with university museums in Japan and Korea.

Robertson successfully lobbied the Oregon State Legislature for a $6 million bond issue to match privately raised funds for the purpose of renovating and doubling the size of Oregon's vintage 1932 museum.

He also has held museum directorships at Loyola University and Dickinson College, where he was the founding director of the Trout Art Gallery. An active member of the American Association of Museums, Robertson serves as a peer reviewer, evaluating university museums across the country that are seeking accreditation by that national association.

Robertson holds a Ph.D. degree in the history of art from the University of Pennsylvania, and M.A. and B.A. degrees from the University of Missouri. He held a Fulbright Professorship at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen during 1989-90. In 1994-95, he served as president of the Illinois Medieval Association.

Robertson has authored a number of exhibition catalogues and published articles in the Art Bulletin, UNESCO's Museum International and the Grove Dictionary of Art. He also has taught courses ranging from freshman seminars to graduate seminars in art history, often integrating museum collections in his course work.