Katie Tamony, director of marketing and communications at SFMOMA; photo: Tom Story
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) today announced the appointment of Katie Tamony as the museum’s new director of marketing and communications. Tamony started on June 4, 2012 and will helm SFMOMA’s integrated public relations, marketing, visitor experience, and audience engagement efforts during a time of unprecedented growth as the museum ramps up for the inauguration of its transformative building expansion in 2016.
A native of Sebastopol, California, Tamony brings to the museum a distinct blend of creative vision and strategic management experience. She comes to SFMOMA most recently from Sunset Publishing Corporation/Time Inc., where she served as vice president and editor in chief for 10 years and earned numerous industry awards. During that time she revitalized the Sunset brand, making it relevant to a new generation of consumers and taking it from single media platform (Sunset magazine) to a range of events and editorial products generating millions of users.
Since leaving Sunset, Tamony has advised San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center Foundation in the creation of a renewed brand platform, working closely with senior executives and board leaders. She was also a trustee of the Oakland Museum of California, serving as chair of its audience development board committee for two years.
“Katie really impressed us not only with her business acumen, imagination, and leadership, but also with her track record of evolving iconic brands and creating authentic content that connects to diverse audiences,” says SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. “She also has a deep understanding of organizational change, as well as valuable insight into the cultural landscape unique to the West and what it means to be an international art destination located here on the West Coast. Her combination of intelligence, passion, and a keen sense of storytelling make her particularly well suited to her new role at SFMOMA as we reshape ourselves for the future.”
Before becoming editor in chief at Sunset, Tamony founded and ran the company’s custom publishing division. In that capacity she built the division from the ground up in just five years and established a $7 million dollar business line with a client portfolio including Oracle, Cisco, Procter & Gamble, Acura, Mazda, and the State of California. In May 2001, Tamony was appointed vice president and editor in chief of Sunset Publishing as a whole and was responsible for all its editorial products. In this role, she completely transformed the print magazine’s look and feel from a venerable brand associated with retirement to a vibrant reflection of contemporary Western living, launched its hyper-local editions, revamped its website as part of the Lifestyle network for Time Inc., and streamlined its book division.
As director of marketing and communications at SFMOMA, Tamony will be responsible for internal and external communications, visitor services, and institutional marketing programs and initiatives for building new audiences and generating revenue. She will also focus on branding work in preparation for the museum’s reopening. In coordination with the deputy museum director, external affairs, and as a member of the museum’s senior management team, she will develop and maintain a cohesive strategy for marketing and communications that reflects the museum’s vision. She will oversee all department strategies, policies, and goals, and will be responsible for maintaining the artistic integrity of outreach efforts and promoting the intellectual values of the museum while growing and diversifying its audiences.
About SFMOMA and its Expansion
Developed by architectural firm Snøhetta in collaboration with SFMOMA and EHDD of San Francisco, the museum’s expansion project will significantly enhance gallery and education spaces, enabling SFMOMA to better showcase its expanded permanent collection and serve its growing audiences. In November 2011, SFMOMA unveiled the latest design details featuring free-access ground-level galleries and public spaces, and new educational areas throughout the museum. SFMOMA expects to announce further details of the interior spaces and functionality in November of 2012. The public can stay up to date on the latest expansion news by visiting SFMOMA’s expansion section of the website at sfmoma.org.