CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-The Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago has announced the promotion of Jacqueline Terrassa and Shaleane Gee to the posts of Deputy Director for Collections, Programs, and Interpretation and Deputy Director for Development and External Relations, respectively.

Anthony Hirschel, Smart Museum Dana Feitler Director, explained “As Deputy Director for Collections, Programs, and Interpretation, Jackie will supervise Education and Collections areas, and share responsibility for curatorial matters with me. Shaleane will continue her work in the development and external affairs areas, with additional institutional responsibility as part of the leadership team. We are fortunate indeed to have such talented members of the staff in such key roles.”

Jacqueline Terrassa has worked as Education Director at the Smart Museum of Art since 1998. Among her many accomplishments at the Museum, she created the Smart’s nationally recognized “SmART Explorers” school program; co-directed the artist residency and exhibition Dawoud Bey: The Chicago Project; and developed the educational “smARTkids” website(http://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/smartkids/). From May 2004 to June 2005, Ms. Terrassa served as the Museum’s Interim Director, overseeing day-to-day management of the Museum and all aspects of the Museum’s strategic plan for collection and exhibition development. Before coming to the Smart, Ms. Terrassa worked for the Hyde Park Art Center and Columbia College Chicago after completing her masters of fine art at the University of Chicago.

Shaleane Gee joined the Smart Museum's staff in 2002 as Director of Development and External Relations, overseeing all of the Museum fundraising, membership, and donor relations efforts. During her time at the Smart, overall fundraising has increased by over 35%, with significant gains in foundation and individual giving. She has also managed the Museum's most successful gala benefit and annual fund drive to date. In the last year, she oversaw a staff reorganization that also brought the Museum's public relations and marketing activities under her review. Prior to her work at the Smart, Ms. Gee served as Assistant and then Associate Director for Development and External Relations for the University's Division of the Humanities. She holds a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Chicago and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Utah.

A portion of the Smart Museum’s general operating funds for 2005-2006 has been provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Smart Museum exhibitions and related programs are generously supported by the Smart Family Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Tom and Janis McCormick and the Kanter Family Foundation; Nuveen Investments; the Rhoades Foundation; the Eloise W. Martin Fund; the Office of the Provost and the Visiting Committee on the Visual Arts, University of Chicago; and the Friends of the Smart Museum. Education programs are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Polk Bros. Foundation, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; the Chicago Community Foundation; Kraft Foods; and Target Stores.