The Grammy Museum and Grammy Foundation are merging with the stated goal of becoming what the two organizations say is "the "leading educational institution dedicated to broadening the historical and cultural significance of music."
As part of the announcement Scott Goldman was named executive director of the new venture and will oversee development, programming, curatorial services and strategic planning. He was formerly vp of the Grammy Foundation and MusiCares. Meanwhile, Bob Santelli, the Museum's original and previous executive director, will transition into the newly created position of founding executive director.
"Both the Grammy Museum and Grammy Foundation have done a truly remarkable work as individual organizations that we started to think about what we could achieve together," said Neil Portnow, president and ceo of The Recording Academy in a statement. "This integration will allow us to combine our resources and the expertise of our dedicated staffs to increase the impact of our shared vision: to cultivate a greater understanding of the history and cultural significance of music, inspire its appreciation, and advance its future."
The integration was approved earlier in the year by the Recording Academy and promoter AEG, under which the Museum was developed as a joint partnership in 2008.
Dan Beckerman, the president and CEO of AEG, commented that "By joining together, they will have an even greater ability to create innovative exhibits and programs that tell important stories and engage new audiences. We would like to thank Bob Santelli and his team for their hard work over the past 10 years in making the GRAMMY Museum a world-class institution and we welcome Scott Goldman to the Museum as it begins this important new chapter in its history."
Other staff changes include the Museum's deputy executive director Rita George being promoted to COO; and Wayne Zahner and Michael Sticka being named CFO; and controller for the Grammy Museum Foundation, respectively.
"For 10 years, I have had the unique and exciting opportunity to run what began as a one-of-a-kind 21st century Museum," Santelli stated. "Together with my stellar staff, we've created interactive exhibits that have traveled the country and the world. And now, with footprints in the south via Grammy Museum Mississippi and our Grammy Museum Gallery at Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville along with our recently announced projects in New Jersey and China, I couldn't be more excited to continue the expansion of the Grammy Museum brand."
Since opening, the Grammy Museum has curated more than 60 exhibits, including more than 20 that have toured other cultural institutions and hosted more than 650 public programs, featuring artist interviews, performances, screenings, lectures, and continuing education. These wide-ranging exhibitions range from shows honoring Frank Sinatra's centennial and the writings of Tupac Shakur to installations on the careers of Taylor Swift, The Ramones and The Beatles. On April 25th the Museum will open its latest show "Ella at 100: Celebrating the Artistry of Ella Fitzgerald."
The Grammy Foundation was established in 1988 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. This year it provided 20 grants, totaling $300,000, to facilitate a wide range of music research, archiving, and preservation projects. Since 2010, the Foundation has awarded more than one-million dollars in cash grants to more than 600 schools around the country.
The Grammy Museum is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with 30,000 square feet of space across four floors. Since opening in 2008, the Grammy Museum has expanded exponentially with a Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Miss. and a Grammy Museum Gallery in Nashville, Tenn. A Grammy Museum Experience will open at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. in fall of this year and a Grammy Museum in Sanya, China will open within the next three years.