Brett Littman / Shakkei Consulting
Bio
30+ years of experience leading and financially strengthening museums, cultural institutions and galleries with a proven track record driving fundraising, capital projects, entrepreneurial initiatives, board evolution, and exhibitions and programs that engage diverse artists, patrons and audiences.
Brett Littman is the Director of Shakkei Consulting (“borrowed landscape” in Japanese) a consulting firm that develops organizational specific strategy and solutions to complex curatorial, management, programmatic, operational, entrepreneurial and legacy issues.
He was the Senior Director, US of Carpenters Workshop Gallery from 2024 - 2025, Director of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Long Island City, New York from 2018 – 2023; Executive Director of The Drawing Center from 2007–2018; Deputy Director of MoMA PS1 from 2003–2007; Co-Director of Dieu Donné Papermill from 2001–2003 and Associate Director of Urban Glass from 1996–2001.
Littman’s interests are multi-disciplinary and he has personally curated more than thirty-five exhibitions focusing on visual art, outsider art, craft, design, architecture, poetry, music, science, and literature. He was named the curator of Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center for 2019 and 2020. He is also an art critic, lecturer, active essayist for museum and gallery catalogues and writes for a wide range of U.S. and international art, fashion, and design magazines.
A native New Yorker, Brett Littman received a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters from France in 2017 and his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.
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SHAKKEI CONSULTING
Owner
2023-present
My consulting firm works with artist foundations, designers, architects and institutions to develop organization-specific strategies and solutions for complex management, curatorial, operational and legacy issues. Clients include Charles and Ray Eames Foundation; United Art Production (UAP); Daniel Brush Estate; Dieu Donne Papermill; Carpenters Workshop Gallery; Jan Staller Photography; Albertina Museum (Vienna, Austria); R & Company; Fondazione Peccioli Per L'Arte, La Cultura, La Solidarieta (Tuscany, Italy); 291 Agency; Works Residency.
CARPENTERS WORKSHOP GALLERY
Senior Director, US
2024-2025
Oversaw $33 million dollar US sales goal from New York and Los Angeles galleries, participated in crisis management, communications, museum relations, and the development of gallery’s intellectual content like curation, artist talks, lectures and writing exhibition texts. Responsibilities and accomplishments include:
- Meet FY24 goal of $30 million dollars of sales in US and developed strategy to increase sales goal to $33 million dollars in FY25.
- Implemented a three-year strategic plan for the Americas focusing on business development, operations and future capabilities
- Managed the Americas team of 20 employees, including recruitment, onboarding, coaching, performance reviews, and retention of high performers
- Proficient in Art Logic, HubSpot and Sage
ISAMU NOGUCHI MUSEUM FOUNDATION AND GARDEN MUSEUM
Director
2018-2023
Increased museum’s budget from $4.5 million to $9 million dollars during tenure, oversaw all aspects of the foundation and museum including curatorial, finance, fundraising, public programming, communications, greatly increased visibility of Isamu Noguchi’s reputation and legacy, and managed full-time staff of 80 employees. Other accomplishments include:
- Responsible for initiating, with the Barbican in the UK, the first European touring show of Noguchi’s work in 20 years, with exhibitions in the UK, Switzerland, Germany and France.
- Fundraised over $18 million dollars towards $24 million dollar Capital Project which included the renovation of Noguchi’s studio and the construction of a new Collections Lab Building.
- Increased salaries and benefits for staff by over $2.5 million dollars between 2020 – 2023.
- Restructured and managed Noguchi design, edition and gallery strategies resulting in sales totaling over $8 million of earned income annually.
- Recruited 10 new age, race and disciplinary diverse board members over five years.
- Used Salesforce, custom CMS for collection and archives, and Shopify
THE DRAWING CENTER
Executive Director
2007–2018
Responsible for $2 million-dollar annual budget, developed and implemented institutional vision related to curatorial and public programs, publications, operations, board management, press and marketing, special events, and development. Responsibilities and accomplishments include:
- Raised $11 million between 2010 – 2012 for ReDraw, The Drawing Center’s capital campaign to renovate and expand our landmarked space at 35 Wooster Street in Soho. Project was completed on-time and without debt.
- Collaborated with MiMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art in the UK) from 2008 – 2012 to build a collection of North and South American drawings with £1 million British Pound gift from the Art Fund. 87 works on paper were purchased with these funds.
- Recruited 15 new board members. Established Creative Community on board comprised of artists, musicians, architects, curators, art historians and illustrators. Created new reporting metrics for the Board and revamped the structure of Board meetings to increase engagement.
- Managed the redesign of drawingcenter.org, developed The Bottom Line blog, the on-line video gallery and initiated free access to all The Drawing Center’s publications on issuu.com.
- Curated and wrote catalog, introductions and essays for over 25 exhibitions at The Drawing Center
- Toured 14 exhibitions to national and international museums between 2007 - 2018.
MoMA PS1
Deputy Director
2003–2007
Senior staff member reporting directly to the Executive Director of MoMA PS (Alanna Heiss), Director of MoMA (Glenn Lowry), Commissioner of NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (Kate Levin) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Managed growth of budget from $3 to $6 million dollars, and oversaw finance, education, public programs, press and marketing, human resources, visitor services, physical plant and security departments at museum. Additional responsibilities and accomplishments include:
- Managed two capital projects at MoMA PS1, a $4 million rehabilitation of the building exterior, and raised $4 million for new visitor services kiosk at entrance to building
- Founding Managing Director of WPS1.org (now Clocktower Radio), PS1’s internet radio station. Responsibilities included: hiring staff, building studio in landmark building, developing partnerships with Art Basel and Venice Biennale, managing funder relationships, and hosted radio program (Material Culture).
- Co-produced Warm Up, MoMA PS1’s summer DJ festival, which attracted 55,000 attendees over 10 Saturday’s every summer.
- Co-produced the Young Architects Program (YAP); interfaced with winning architects and managed projects on-site
- Wrote artist entries for Greater New York 2005 catalog
DIEU DONNE
Co-Executive Director
2001–2003
Increased budget from $800,000 to $2 million dollars through grants, earned income projects and art sales during tenure. Responsible for overseeing all staff, board, and administrative programs and in charge of all fundraising activities, including membership, annual appeal, benefits, board and individual donations, and government, foundation and corporate grants. Other accomplishments include:
- Developed five-year strategic plan (2002–2007)
- Developed and implemented contracting procedures for publishing and residency programs
- Consulted on aesthetic direction of institution and introduced artists William Kentridge, Glenn Ligon and Richard Tuttle to the institution
- Wrote catalog essays for exhibitions and reviews for Pulp Newsletter
- Represented institution at off-site venues, art fairs, press conferences, lectures, television and radio appearances.
URBANGLASS
Director of Development / Associate Director / Atelier Manager
1995–2001
Responsible for coordinating all fundraising activities, including grant writing, membership, annual appeal, individual and board donations, annual auction and Awards Dinner.
- Oversaw re-design of UrbanGlass website
- Started Atelier program, that matched glass artists and the New York sculpture, design, and architecture communities to fabricate work. Raised over $200,000 annually towards budget.
- Guest editor and staff writer for GLASS Quarterly
- Co-chair of the international Glass Art Society Conference hosted by UrbanGlass in June 2000, which was attended by more than 2000 international artists
EDUCATION
BA, Philosophy, University of California at San Diego, 1994
Stuyvesant H.S., New York, 1986
Index
Last Updated 24.10.37