The Center for Curatorial Leadership: Creating a Talent Incubator for Museum Curators

Founded fifteen years ago as a small organization to "train curators to become visionary leaders of art museums," the Center for Curatorial Leadership (CCL) has blossomed into a globally recognized leader in executive training, empowering museum curators to not only advance in their craft but to cross into business leadership at the director level. As Director and Founder Elizabeth "Buffy" Easton reflects on the CCL's past and the challenges and opportunities in the arts industry in the years ahead, she must consider how to pivot her non-profit so that it can evolve to continue to incubate creative leadership in a way that keeps stride with the fast-changing landscape. This case introduces students to the world of the arts and museums, the world of nonprofit organizations and various partnerships that leaders at these firms may seek. Students will be asked to assess an organization from founding to growth, set metrics to measure success, and lead a dialogue about challenges, opportunities, and growing pains that an organization and visionary leader face in a fast-changing environment that is rife with change.