PORTLAND, OR.- Today, the Portland Art Museum's Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of Brian J. Ferriso as The Marilyn and Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. Director. His start date will be in late October.

"It is a great honor to be asked to be the executive director of the Portland Art Museum, one of the leading art museums in the United States," said Ferriso. "This institution is distinguished by its collections, exhibitions, programs, and facilities."

Ferriso has served as the Executive Director and CEO of the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Okla. since 2003. As the artistic and administrative leader of the museum, he has guided the institution's mission, values, and vision. His responsibilities have included the overall management of the museum including human, physical, and financial resources, program content, and the museum's future development. The Philbrook has an annual budget of $6 million and 55 full-time employees.

An Italianate villa built on 23 lush acres in 1927 by oilman Waite Phillips, the Philbrook has evolved from a grand family estate to Tulsa's art center with a collection of 8,500 works of art. The integrity of the original residence remains intact while later additions to the facility complement the architecture and enhance the visitor's experience.

Recent accomplishments include:

The development of a comprehensive, five-year institutional strategic plan resulting in a new mission statement, institutional core values, vision, and goals, a new branding of the institution, and updates to the museum's policies and procedures.

Expansion of the museum's contemporary art program, including creating a vision and format for the display and interpretation of the art of today, hiring an adjunct curator of contemporary art, launching the Focus series of single-artist exhibitions, and increasing the Contemporary Consortium from eight to 17 supporting members.

Curating LANDed: Innovative Garden Structures (April 2005), a contemporary architectural design competition where North American architects submitted proposals to reconceive the garden structure for the 21st century. Five winning proposals were constructed and accompanying publication was produced that included architectural statements and images, and an essay on the history of garden structures.

Overseeing the acquisition of notable works, including John White Alexander's Portrait of Mrs. V. (1898), Robert Henri's Portrait of Mary Patton (1927), Jean Dubuffet's Pepinieriste (1947), Barry Flanagan's Thinker on Rock (1997), Tony Ourlser's Swathe (2003), and Josiah McEhlheny's Landscape Model for Total Reflection Abstraction (V) (2004), among others.

Overseeing the completion of a $7 million historic garden renovation, expansion, and interpretation; raising $2 million for two years of special exhibitions.

Raising operating support of $2 million toward the $6 million annual budget; led key fundraising events, such as the 2006 Wine Experience that netted $1.2 million.

Ferriso has also served in a variety of roles at museums around the country, including Deputy Director and Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Milwaukee Art Museum, and as Assistant Director at The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago.

Ferriso holds an M.A. in Art History from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in Visual Arts Administration from New York University, and a B.A. in Economics from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

According to Marty Brantley, chairman of the Portland Art Museum's board of trustees, Ferriso's experience and leadership will move the Museum's mission and goals forward, building on the institution's solid foundation and successful history.

"I look forward to the wonderful opportunity to work with staff, members of the board, and the community," said Ferriso. "I am also pleased to have this opportunity for my family and me to live and work in the dynamic city of Portland."

One of the oldest museums in the United States, the Portland Art Museum is internationally recognized for a permanent collection, that reflects the history of art from ancient times to today, and the organization of ambitious special exhibitions drawn from the Museum's holdings and the world's finest public and private collections.

The Museum's campus of landmark buildings includes the acclaimed Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art, the Gilkey Center for Graphic Arts, the Schnitzer Center for Northwest Art, and the Northwest Film Center. Serving an annual audience of more than 300,000 visitors, the Museum is a premier venue for education in the visual arts while it collects and preserves great art for the enrichment of present and future generations.