Thomas Maria Messer

Background

Messer, Thomas Maria was born on February 9, 1920 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Came to United States, 1939, naturalized, 1944. Son of Richard and Agatha (Albrecht) Messer.

Education

Exchange student, Institute International Education, 1939. Student, Thiel College, Greenville, Pennsylvania, 1941. Bachelor, Boston University, 1942.

Degree, University Sorbonne, Paris, 1947. Master of Arts, Harvard University, 1951. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), University Massachusetts, 1962.

Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), University of Arts, Philadelphia, 1988.

Career

Director, Roswell Museum, New Mexico 1949-1952. Assistant Director in charge of National Exhibitions Programme, American Federation Arts 1952-1953, Director of. Director 1955-1956, Trustee 1972-1975.

Director, Boston Institute of Contemporary Art 1957-1961, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York 1961-1988. First Vice-President American Federation Arts 75. President Association of Art Museum Directors 1974-1975.

Chairman Institute Committee Museums and Collections of Modem Art, Institute Council of Museums 1974-1977, Honorary Chairman 1977-1980. Chairman Institute; Professor, of Art History, Barnard College 1966, 1971. Senior Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies, Wesleyan University 1966.

Trustee Center for Inter-American Relations since 1974, Executive Council Institute Council of Museums. Vice-Chairman United States Institute Council of Museums Committee of American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C. 1979-1981. President MacDowell Colony Inc.

80; Director and Trustee, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation 1980-1988, Trustee since 1988, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice 1980-1988. Trustee, Wooster School, Americas Society since 1981. Chairman Arts Institute, Institute of National Education since 1988.

Senior advisor University of Miami, Fla. since 1990.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Vasily Kandinsky 1866-1944, in the Collection of the Guggenheim
  • Vasily Kandinsky, 1866-1944 : A Retrospective Exhibition (includes Supplement To The Exhibition Catalogue : Special Loan of Paintings from The U.S.S.R.)
  • Edvard Munch
  • Vasily Kandinsky

• Other Work

  • Author: Edvard Munch, 1973, Vasily Kandinsky, 1997. Contributor to museum catalogues, art journals.

Membership

Advisory Board, Palazzo Grasei Venice since 1986. Visiting Committee on Art Museums, Harvard University, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Committee on Art, Art Advisory Committee UNESCO since 1980, Computerization Advisory Committee Getty Trust since 1982. Museum Advisory Panel of National Endowment for the Arts, Art Advisory Panel to Commander of Internal Revenue Service 1974-1977, Board of Visitors, School of Visual Arts, Boston University 1977-1979.

Interests

• The theatre, literature, music.

Connections

Married Remedios García Villa, January 10, 1948.

Father:

Richard Messer

Mother:

Agatha (Albrecht) Messer

Spouse:

Remedios García Villa