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New Museum Director Prioritizes Community Engagement B Y R E N E E B R I N C K S W hen he first considered the Monterey Museum of Art's executive director role, Stuart Chase had never visited the coastal California community. After 30 years at museums in Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Florida, however, he knew of the area's artistic and cultural heritage. "Monterey has a long tradition as a strong art colony. It definitely has a worldwide reputation," says Chase. "The first time I visited, it was even more spec- tacularly beautiful than I'd imagined." Since joining the museum in April, Chase has amped up efforts to engage new and returning visi- tors. As part of this year's "Takin' It To The Streets" fundraising campaign, the museum team is bringing artwork to empty storefronts throughout the region. Chase is scheduling more exhibitions and shortening display cycles, giving guests new reasons to return to the museum. He is eager to expand the community class schedule and connect contemporary artists with the wider community as well. "We're the only accredited art museum [between] San Jose [and] Santa Barbara, so we cover a large ter- ritory of the California coastline. We want to make sure we're advancing and learning and collecting and sharing things that are diverse," Chase says. "It's about the past, present and future." For more information about the Monterey Museum of Art, please visit www.montereyart.org. SHORTCUTS ART With over three decades of museum experience, Stuart Chase of the Monterey Museum of Art brings a strong focus on community engagement to the institution. 66 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 7 Photo: Kelli Uldall