September 14, 2015
Shop Talk
Q&A with Debra Petke, Executive Director, Danforth Art
TITLE: Executive Director, Danforth Art, Framingham
RESIDENCE: Framingham
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, Providence College;
master's degree, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Danforth Art — which was the Danforth Museum until 2013 — has long been a fixture in the downtown Framingham area. But that’s expected to change within a few years, since the 40-year-old institution bought the Jonathan Maynard Building, about a mile north in Framingham Centre. The structure needs money for renovation work before the Danforth moves in, new Executive Director Debra Petke said recently. Petke, who began the job just weeks ago, talked with the WBJ earlier this month about her plans and the Danforth’s role in the community.
How do you see the Danforth's role in the community in, say, 10 years?
There is a lot of change that’s going to happen in the next 10 years. One of my tasks here is to raise money for the renovation of (the Maynard) building and for the move. We’re deep into the planning of it now. I think you’re going to see the transition of an institution into a larger museum and art school that will be even more of a centerpiece for the community.
Generally speaking, how much can the arts influence a region's economic vitality?
One of the things that often gets overlooked is that, for a lot of corporations, it’s extremely important for them to be in an area that has cultural offerings, because it’s so important to attracting talent. Especially being in an area where there are a lot of really thriving industries.
You have bigger art museums to the east (Museum of Fine Arts in Boston) and the west (Worcester Art Museum). How much does the Danforth compete with them? Or does it really matter?
In some way, all museums are competing. But your geography really establishes what that competition is, in addition to what your collections are. I’ve often heard from people that they love going to the MFA … But they’ve got to go into Boston, and whether that’s a drive, where they have to pay a lot of money to park, or they have to get on the T, they just don’t want to spend the whole day getting there and coming back. So they can come to Danforth Art and have an experience in a couple of hours.
Have you talked with local businesses about the Danforth's future and how they might be able to help?
I’m just getting to know the people in the area, but I’ve been reaching out to businesspeople and really have wanted to reach out to Framingham first and meet the business owners here, and then reach out to the corporations.
How will the planned move to the Town Green help the Danforth's mission?
We are really in a building now that limits what we can do. We have (just one) room for lectures and for some other public events, and we really need more space for offerings, and more space to have exhibitions and for our art school. We’re not going to have physically more space in the Maynard Building, but it will allow us to start from scratch and (plan) how that space is used, so we can get every square inch to work for us.
How is this role similar to your previous professional roles?
Fundraising comes to mind first. That’s always been first and foremost in being a museum director and a deputy director before and also being an art college president. Raising money for the operating budget is important, but also the future sustainability of an institution.
What added dimension does a college presidency (her former role at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Conn.) bring to the job?
One of the reasons I was attracted to this position was that it was a hybrid of an art school and a museum, and my career has been a hybrid of being a museum director and an art college president. So, I’m very comfortable on both levels. I’ve worked with faculty and students; I understand visual art curriculum; I understand all aspects of running a museum.
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