Museum of Russian Icons Annual Report 2016 V2 Annual Report 2017 | Page 4

REPORT FROM THE CEO
Gordon Lankton, Founder and Kent Russell, CEO/Curator
The year 2016 marked a milestone in the history of the Museum of Russian Icons: the celebration of our 10th
anniversary. When I worked with Gordon Lankton in the early 2000s to begin planning the Museum, neither
of us had any idea that it would grow so dramatically in such a short period of time. We now welcome nearly
15,000 visitors per year from near and far. We have achieved accreditation from the American Alliance of
Museums (AAM), an honor enjoyed by only 5% of American museums. We have built the largest and most
comprehensive collection of Russian Icons outside of Russia. We collaborate with universities, cultural
institutions, and other nonprofits to help make our region a vibrant place to live, work, study, and visit.
As you will see throughout this report, 2016 was a year of transition. Our Board and staff are focused on
planning for the Museum’s long term future. To that end, we have implemented many of the recommendations
made by AAM’s accreditation commission to make the Museum even stronger. Many of these initiatives,
such as establishing new Board committees and finalizing our strategic plan for the next five years, are not
immediately visible to our visitors, but they are crucial to ensure that the Museum will be secure for the long
term.
One challenge, described elsewhere in this report, was a misunderstanding with the Russian authorities which
required us to return 16 icons from the Museum’s collection to Russia for inspection. We hope to be able to
re-import the icons at some point in the future. Despite these bureaucratic issues—and indeed, despite the
current complexities of Russian/US relations—we are reminded that icons have withstood centuries of political
ups and downs. But ultimately, art transcends politics.
While we’re celebrating our past, we’re also looking ahead: there will be many exciting programs and
exhibitions to come in the remainder of our 10th anniversary year, and beyond. Gordon B. Lankton and I,
along with the Board and the entire Museum team, thank you for your interest in and support of the Museum.
Whether you’ve witnessed our entire 10 year journey or are new to the Museum, we value you and your input.
Kent dur Russell
CEO/Curator
4