BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICH.- The Cranbrook Educational Community Board of Trustees announced today that, following a comprehensive search, Christopher (Chris) Whittey has been named the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Interim Director of Cranbrook Academy of Art.
He succeeds Paul Sacaridiz, who left Cranbrook in 2023. Whittey’s tenure begins in mid-September 2024.
Whittey joins Cranbrook from Oklahoma State University (OSU), where he held the position of Vaughn Vennerberg II Chair of Art, Professor of Art, and Head of the Department of Art, Graphic Design, and Art History for the past two years. At OSU, he taught and worked closely with students, faculty, staff, and administration to raise national awareness for the program and build its reputation.
Cranbrook Educational Community President Aimeclaire Roche stated, “Following a search that brought forth a diverse pool of candidates, Chris Whittey was identified as the ideal choice for the Academy of Art at this time. Chris' enthusiasm for leading this exceptional independent graduate school made him stand out among the candidates for the position. We welcome his extensive experience in managing the daily academic and programmatic operations of higher education, combined with his commitment to creative practice, excellence and strategic planning.”
Whittey brings more than 28 years of experience to Cranbrook. Before OSU, he served as the Alan F. Rothschild Distinguished Chair of Art at Columbus State University (2019-2022), Senior Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at the Cleveland Institute of Art (2011-2019), Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean at Maine College of Art (2009-2011), and Dean of Academic Services at Maryland Institute College of Art (2006-2009).
“I am incredibly honored to join the team and to work closely together to bring out the best in what Cranbrook has to offer,” said Whittey. “It's no secret that the Academy of Art has always been internationally known as one of the finest and most respected in our field, and I look forward to honoring that fine tradition while playing my role in paving the way to a long string of highly successful futures.”
After studying at the Center for Creative Studies and receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University, Whittey worked as a master carpenter building stage sets and props in New York for such venues as the Metropolitan Opera, Saturday Night Live, and the Conan O'Brien Show. In 1989, he returned to complete his formal education at the Rhode Island School of Design and received his Master of Fine Arts in 1991. Whittey was selected to attend the prestigious Whitney Museum Independent Study Program the following year.
As an artist, Whittey's sculptural, installation, and 2D studio projects have been showcased in numerous locations, including White Columns and The Thread Waxing Space in New York. He has received a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship, a Van Lier Foundation Grant (awarded by the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program), an Individual Artists Grant from New York's Artist Space, and a faculty development grant from MICA.
Cranbrook will launch a search for a permanent Director at a later date.
