By the numbers

Four years ago we wrote a post on the length of time our art museum directors stay in one institution before moving on or moving out. The average ‘stay’ in that sample was ten years.

This month the very idea of only settling in for a ten year stay is kicked into touch as Paula Savage completes her twentieth year as director of the City Gallery in Wellington.

Runners up:

Chris Saines, Auckland Art Gallery: 15 years

Rhana Devenport, Govett-Brewster: 5 years this month

Jenny Harper Christchurch Art Gallery: 5 years next month

Elizabeth Caldwell, Dunedin Public Art Gallery: 2.5 years

Cam McCracken, Dowse Art Museum: 2.5 years

Apart from the Govett-Brewster which has a five-year limit on its directors all our other art museums have open ended terms.

COMMENT FROM ANDREW CLIFFORD 24-09-11: That's an interesting clarification about the Employment Relations Act and fixed term positions. So how does that work for Artspace's 3-year directorship and Te Tuhi's 3-year term curatorship?

We have put all the comments following Andrew Clifford's question over on OTN Stuff, You can follow them here or on the OTN Facebook page.