Hasta La Ideas

Ever since this writer moved to Chicago, he’s been continually impressed by the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art. And that was largely due to chief curator Elizabeth Smith‘s careful crafting of the museum’s exhibitions. So it worries us a little to see the announcement that Smith has decided to step down and will be resigning as of August 31st. Although the museum’s president, Madeleine Grynsztejn, has told the Chicago Tribune that Smith’s decision to leave had nothing to do with “creative differences or economic troubles posed by the recession,” this writer is a full-time, jaded skeptic who always thinks the opposite of whatever some public figure is assuring them is not the case (like in this instance or with Sarah Palin‘s divorce). It does sound a little less suspicious if you read the Sun Times, with Smith saying “A decade is a good long time to be somewhere. It’s been a great 10 years, but I feel like it’s time to move on” but we shall remain ever vigil in our baseless speculations, dear readers. For now all that’s left to do is miss Ms. Smith and wish her and the museum all the best. Here’s a bit:

Her major exhibitions include a widely praised 2004 retrospective of the artist Lee Bontecou and a 2008 survey of the work of artist Jenny Holzer. She also organized architecture and design exhibitions such as the 1999 show “At the End of the Century: 100 Years of Architecture,” for which she served as co-curator.

Grynsztejn said she plans to seek a replacement with a comparably broad background.

“I want to hire someone of curatorial excellence whose communications are accessible and embracing to a large audience beyond that of the current MCA community,” she said.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.