Hasta La Ideas

We were pretty shocked last week upon learning of the resignation of Hope Alswang from her post as director of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, but not being in the area, we assumed it was something that had been in the works for a little while, considering how casual the press release announcing her leaving was. Oh, but apparently how wrong we were. The Providence Journal is reporting that the museum’s board is setting up an immediate meeting to discuss Alswang’s quick departure, which came as a surprise to everyone involved, with very few members being able to make heads or tails of it. Some have speculated that the museum’s financial problems are the reason for the resignation, but neither Alswang herself, nor the museum or the school have opted to say anything more. Here’s one board member’s thoughts:

“Frankly, I can’t imagine Hope leaving of her own accord,” said Residential Properties CEO Sally Lapides, who serves on the museum’s board of governors. “I know for a fact that Hope loved living in Providence, loved running the museum and loved working at the School of Design. I can’t see any explanation for this unless someone basically put a gun to her head and said ‘Go.'”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.