James "Jim" Bash Cuno (born April 6, 1951 in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which ...

) is an American art historian and

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

. From 2011–22 Cuno served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the J. Paul Getty Trust.

Career

A native of

, Cuno received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as we ...

from Willamette University in 1973. He then earned two

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. ...

degrees in

Art History Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today, ...

from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billio ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

, in 1978 and 1980 respectively. In 1977, Cuno married his Willamette classmate, Sarah Stewart. He continued on at Harvard to receive a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in Art History in 1985, and his doctoral dissertation was on the artist Charles Philipon. While working on the doctorate, Cuno worked as Assistant Curator of Prints at the

Harvard Art Museums The Harvard Art Museums are part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum (established in 1895), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (established in 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established in 1985), and four research ...

from 1980 to 1983. In that final year, he was hired as Assistant Professor of Art History at Vassar College, a position that he held until 1986. Cuno quickly began a career an illustrious career in museum directorship, serving as the director of many notable institutions within the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

and abroad. He first served as director of the Grunwald Center for Graphic Arts at the

Hammer Museum The Hammer Museum, which is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles, is an art museum and cultural center known for its artist-centric and progressive array of exhibitions and public programs. Founded in 1990 by the entrepreneur ...

from 1986 to 1989, and the

Hood Museum of Art The Hood Museum of Art is owned and operated by Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States. The first reference to the development of an art collection at Dartmouth dates to 1772, making the collection among the ol ...

until 1991. Cuno was then appointed Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director of the Harvard Art Museums from 1991 to 2002, replacing Edgar Peters Bowron, and then moved on to

The Courtauld Institute of Art The Courtauld Institute of Art (), commonly referred to as The Courtauld, is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art and conservation. It is among the most prestigious specialist co ...

for a year from 2003 to 2004, succeeding Eric Fernie. While at Harvard, he was elected to the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, ...

in 2001. He left the Courtauld to head the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

as Eloise W. Martin Director until 2011, replacing James N. Wood. In that final year, Cuno became the President and Chief Executive Officer of the J. Paul Getty Trust, and retired as of July 31, 2022. During his career, Cuno has also served as director of the Association of Art Museum Directors.

Works

*1989: ''French Caricature and the French Revolution, 1789-1799''. *2006: ''Whose Muse?: Art Museums and the Public Trust''. *2007: ''The Silk Road and Beyond: Travel, Trade, and Transformation''. *2008: ''Who Owns Antiquity?: Museums and the Battle over Our Ancient Heritage''. *2009: ''The Modern Wing: Renzo Piano and the Art Institute of Chicago''. *2009: ''Master Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago''. *2012: ''Whose Culture?: The Promise of Museums and the Debate over Antiquities''. *2012: ''Museums Matter: In Praise of the Encyclopedic Museum''.

References

External links

American Academy of Arts and Sciences profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuno, James 1951 births Living people Writers from St. Louis American art historians American art curators Willamette University alumni University of Oregon alumni Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Vassar College faculty Directors of museums in the United States Hammer Museum Dartmouth College faculty Directors of the Courtauld Institute of Art Directors of the Art Institute of Chicago People associated with the J. Paul Getty Museum

Career

Works

See also

References

External links