About Sigler Western Museum
Founded in 1960 and located in historic Wickenburg, Arizona, the Sigler Western Museum is home to a renowned collection of Western art and history. With exhibitions that honor both the heritage and evolving culture of the American West, the Museum is a vibrant destination for discovery and inspiration. Every year, the Museum welcomes nearly 40,000 visitors from across the United States and abroad. The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
The Museum's mission is to explore and share the diverse stories and cultures of the American West. Through world-class art collections, historical exhibitions, educational programs, and community engagement, the Museum inspires visitors of all ages with the visual and historic tales of cowboys, Native peoples, pioneers, miners, artists, and others who shaped the American West.
At the heart of the Museum's collection are works by George Catlin, Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and the Cowboy Artists of America, along with celebrated Western women artists including Georgia O'Keeffe. The Museum also stewards a collection of more than 10,000 works of art and artifacts and has earned national recognition for its commitment to advancing the study and appreciation of Western art by women.
The Museum's exhibition program combines art, history, and cultural storytelling. Signature exhibitions and programs include Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West, one of the nation's premier exhibitions celebrating women artists of the American West; Masterworks: The Judith and Allan Cooke Collection of American Indian Ceramics; A Sculptor's Soul: The Mythology & Lore of John Coleman's West; Vivid Portraits and Violent Color: The Art of Fritz Scholder; Now You See Us: Celebrating the Early Western Women Artists Collection; and rotating exhibitions highlighting Western art, Southwest history, and the Museum's permanent collection.
In 2025, Wickenburg residents and longtime supporters Carey and Jack Sigler made a transformational $20 million gift, one of the largest donations ever made to an arts and cultural organization in Arizona. In recognition of their landmark philanthropy and enduring commitment to the Museum's future, Desert Caballeros Western Museum was renamed Sigler Western Museum.
The Sigler gift, together with more than $9M in additional contributions, accelerated the Museum's ambitious capital campaign and the construction of a new $30 million art museum and pavilion campus. Scheduled to open in 2028, the new facility will add 27,100 square feet of gallery, event, and gathering space, creating a dynamic multi-building campus in the heart of Wickenburg.
Alongside the new building and the capital campaign, the Board of Trustees recently adopted A New Frontier: Strategic Plan 2026–2030 to guide the Museum’s next chapter of work. The plan highlights the Museum’s intentions of expanding its regional and national profile, deepening community engagement, and elevating visitor experiences to further establish the Museum as a leader in Western art, Western women’s art, and history.
To learn more about Sigler Western Museum visit its website at: https://westernmuseum.org/
What’s Next
The Sigler Western Museum stands at a defining moment in its history. Recently recognized as the #1 Western Art Museum by True West Magazine, the Museum is embarking on an ambitious new chapter that includes the completion of a transformational new museum facility and expansion of its campus, implementation of a bold strategic plan and continued growth as a nationally respected destination for Western art, history, education and cultural storytelling.
The Museum’s recently adopted Strategic Plan, A New Frontier, presents a refreshed vision guiding the Museum through this period of transformation, anchored by the 2028 opening of a new building that will expand the campus and create a fresh, integrated setting for dynamic visitor experiences.
Since 2006, Cowgirl Up! has helped position Sigler as a national leader in Western art by women, and Sigler envisions building on this foundation to establish a National Center for Western Art by Women in the coming years.
The Strategic Plan was shaped over eight months by trustees, staff, and volunteers with the goal of heightening what is already unique and special at Sigler. It is grounded in the Museum's mission — "The Sigler Western Museum explores and shares the diverse stories and cultures of the American West" — and its vision of being "a dynamic place to experience the evolving intersection of art, history, and cultural traditions of the American West."
The Plan lays out four main goals to advance the mission and achieve the vision.
Goal 1: Art and History Illuminate the Stories of the American West, focuses on innovative interpretation, the ongoing care of the Museum’s collections, and the exhibitions and programs that serve our many audiences, artists, and communities.
Goal 2: Visitor Experiences Exceed Audience Expectations, expands and enhances the offerings for our guests that create meaningful experiences relevant in today's changing world.
Goal 3: The New Building Creates a Vibrant, Dynamic Campus, defines the steps to complete construction of the new building and prepare for the grand opening in 2028, while initiating efforts to repurpose the current Museum to support a cohesive overall visitor experience.
Goal 4: Institutional Capacity Aligns with Our Aspirations ensures that the financial realities, trustee leadership, staffing needs, and operational functions continue to evolve as Sigler grows.
The Board, staff, and volunteers embrace this time of exciting transition and expansion with an eye to the future, committed to continuing to contribute to the vitality of Wickenburg, its residents, and annual visitors.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director serves as the Museum's chief executive, fundraiser, and ambassador. The Executive Director leads a growing team of approximately 22 staff members, a $2.5M operating budget and a dedicated volunteer corps. The Museum is debt free and enjoys a healthy endowment.
With the new strategic plan approved and construction on the building having begun in the Spring of 2026, the next Executive Director will play a pivotal role in bringing the $35M capital project to life, including driving the completion of the capital campaign, of which $31M has been raised.
Beyond this monumental project, the Executive Director will guide the advancement of Sigler Western Museum’s mission while inspiring new generations through cutting-edge programming, exhibitions, and education focused on integrating the Museum's leadership in Western art and history with its distinct strength in Western women's art and history — building a unified narrative and strategy that further positions the Museum as the leader in this niche both regionally and nationally.
Additionally, the Executive Director will skillfully oversee the Museum’s resources—personnel, fiscal, and capital—by recruiting, developing and evaluating staff, all while maximizing fundraising and earned income, judiciously overseeing expenses and ensuring that capital investments flourish.
This is a rare opportunity for a visionary and relationship-driven leader to steward a beloved community institution while advancing one of the American West's most distinctive and dynamic cultural organizations.
Key responsibilities of the Executive Director include:
Strategic Leadership
- In close partnership with staff and the Board, lead implementation of The New Frontier, translating goals into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
- Guide the institution through the construction and eventual opening of the new museum facility and the transition to a dynamic campus.
- Partner with the Board and staff to shape the next phase of institutional growth, ensuring the Museum remains financially sustainable and community centered.
- Develop a bold vision for how Western art and history and Western women's art and history intersect and reinforce one another, translating that vision into a distinctive institutional identity and long-term strategy.
- Serve as the Museum's chief storyteller and strategist for this space — building the programming, partnerships, and positioning needed to establish the Museum as the definitive national voice at the intersection of Western art, history, and women's contributions to it.
- In partnership with the Board, serve as the primary strategist in growing Cowgirl Up!, the museum's signature annual exhibition and event celebrating Western art by women, expanding its national reach, audience draw, and visibility while driving increased revenue and philanthropic impact.
Fundraising, Advancement & External Relations
- Serve as the Museum's primary fundraiser, leading the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors, foundations, corporations, and community supporters.
- Complete fundraising priorities associated with the current campaign while helping establish future fundraising strategies including annual giving, planned giving, endowment growth, and future capital needs.
- Expand the Museum's donor base and increase philanthropic engagement throughout Arizona and nationally.
- Partner closely with the Board to strengthen fundraising participation and donor cultivation efforts.
Ambassadorship
- Serve as the public face of the Museum and a visible ambassador within Wickenburg, throughout Arizona, and across the museum and cultural sectors.
- Elevate the Museum's credibility and visibility as a thought leader in Western art and women's history through scholarship, exhibitions, media presence, and relationships with collectors, donors, and peer institutions.
- Develop and expand relationships with community leaders, civic organizations, arts and cultural institutions, foundations, and regional partners to amplify the Museum’s presence in the region and ensure future sustainability.
- Strengthen the Museum's connection to local residents and expand its role as a cultural gathering place and community asset.
- Build bridges across constituencies and help unify the Museum's growing identity as a leading Western women’s art institution and a steward of Southwestern history and heritage.
Curatorial & Programming
- Champion the creative and curatorial direction that differentiates the Museum from other Western art institutions, ensuring its unique focus on women's art and history becomes a defining competitive advantage rather than a secondary theme.
- Provide curatorial input on exhibitions, acquisitions and artists to be invited for programs at the Museum. Perform research and assist curatorial staff with gallery guides, labels, or other related materials as needed.
- Advance the Museum's vision of integrating art, history, education, and cultural storytelling in innovative and engaging ways.
- Assist in planning and directing major Museum events, such as Cowgirl Up! and the Heart of the West gala.
Team Leadership & Organizational Development
- Lead, inspire, and develop a committed staff and volunteer corps during a period of significant organizational change and growth.
- Build organizational capacity, assess future staffing needs, and create the infrastructure required to support an expanded operation.
- Foster a culture of transparency, accountability, collaboration, communication and professional growth.
- Support leadership development and succession planning throughout the organization.
- Ensure alignment between strategic priorities, staffing resources, and operational needs.
Operations, Facilities & Governance
- Provide executive oversight for Museum operations, financial performance, facilities, visitor experience, and long-range planning.
- Partner with the COO/CFO and the leadership team to ensure strong fiscal stewardship, budget planning, and operational effectiveness.
- Support effective governance and help the Board fulfill its responsibilities as strategic advisors, ambassadors, and fiduciaries.
- Ensure the Museum continues to operate according to the highest standards of museum practice, financial stewardship and institutional excellence.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate possesses the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:
Strategic and Visionary Leadership
The Executive Director brings proven experience defining and executing long-term institutional goals and strategic plans with a track record of driving successful outcomes in previous roles. Naturally curious and entrepreneurial, the Executive Director can lead boards, staff, donors and partners to seek opportunities to grow and evolve, co-create, increase impact, build visibility and promote engagement. Such a leader anchors future plans with an understanding of past accomplishments and within the present context. The ideal candidate is an explorer, a person who naturally looks past the horizon, and balances the values of thinking creatively and taking risks with sound reasoning and business practices. This leader will have the enthusiasm to remain at the forefront of the arts and culture locally, regionally, and nationally, to continue to develop new and unique opportunities to serve the mission.
Dynamic Ambassador and Fundraiser
The Executive Director is a proactive steward of an institution’s assets, including people, collections, finances, facilities, reputation, and external relationships. The steward role considers current needs and attends to requirements for long-term sustainability and institutional health. The Executive Director understands the importance of their role as the primary “Ambassador” for the Museum, sharing the mission and vision with the outside world and helping to expand the institution’s role and visibility. Highly articulate and a deft communicator, the Executive Director brings experience conveying an institution’s successes and opportunities with passion and intelligence, both verbally and in writing, in formal and informal situations. The ideal candidate enjoys fundraising and brings a track record of success in setting fundraising strategy that includes the acquisition of major gifts and grants from individuals, foundations, corporations, and the public sector at the local, state, regional and national level. The Executive Director brings a natural propensity for engagement to the role and must be fluent in communicating the value proposition of an organization across a range of audiences.
Community Builder and Relationship-Centered Leader
The ideal candidate is skilled at quickly establishing rapport and cultivating relationships across communities and audiences. The next Executive Director is highly a relational leader who understands that lasting institutional success is built on trust, engagement, and authentic connection with all constituents. This individual will embrace the opportunity to serve as a visible and engaged presence in Wickenburg while cultivating relationships among residents, donors, artists, volunteers, trustees, staff and community partners. Comfortable listening, convening, and fostering collaboration, the successful candidate will be excited by the opportunity to further position Sigler Western Museum as both a cherished local institution and an increasingly influential cultural destination.
Business Acumen and Organizational Management
The Executive Director has a track record of sound financial planning, results, oversight and accountability with the ability to successfully partner with an engaged Board of Trustees while exercising fiduciary responsibility and sound financial management practices at all times. The Executive Director brings experience building and leading strong teams and will work at the highest degree of professionalism in guiding team members’ growth and development. The ideal candidate proactively, constructively, and creatively conceptualizes and analyzes problems and solutions resulting in improved performance and efficiency across the organization. Adept at facilitating decision-making, the Executive Director solicits input from varied sources, facilitates robust dialogue, successfully navigates divergent opinions, and brings dialogue to closure.
Passion for the Mission
The ideal candidate will bring a genuine passion for the art, history, cultures and traditions of the American West and an appreciation for the role museums play in preserving, interpreting, and sharing these stories with future generations. Globally and culturally competent, the Executive Director will have the character and integrity necessary to develop rapport with people of varying experiences, backgrounds, and philosophies. It is imperative that this leader treats others with respect and has a strong capacity to listen and build trust-based relationships. Finally, the ideal candidate possesses endurance, authenticity, humility and the confidence to lead, and at the same time, is successful at instilling confidence and optimism during a period of change and evolution.
Given the importance of building authentic and strong ties with the community, the Executive Director will be expected to reside in the Wickenburg, AZ region.
About Wickenburg, AZ
Wickenburg, Arizona is a historic western town of about 8,000 residents set in the high Sonoran Desert about an hour northwest of Phoenix, surrounded by the Bradshaw and Vulture mountains and the Hassayampa River Valley. Known as the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World," it retains a walkable, authentic downtown with adobe and brick storefronts, six bronze historical statues along its walking trail, and a 200-year-old mesquite tree that once served as the town jail. Outdoor life is central here — hiking and horseback trails wind through saguaro-studded desert, the Hassayampa River Preserve draws birders from across the country (280+ species recorded), and nearby Alamo Lake offers some of the state's best bass fishing.
The town punches well above its weight in arts and culture. The Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts hosts more than 25 music, dance, and theater productions a year and runs a summer arts camp for K-12 students, while the Wickenburg Art Center showcases local work across painting, sculpture, ceramics, and photography. Community life still centers on Western heritage, with events like Gold Rush Days & Rodeo each February drawing visitors from around the region.
Beyond town limits, Wickenburg sits within easy reach of the greater Phoenix metro's airports, hospitals, and amenities while offering small-town pace, lower cost of living, and some of Arizona's clearest desert skies. It's a place where staff can build a career at a nationally respected institution — home to major works by artists like Remington, Russell, Bierstadt, and O'Keeffe — while living in a close-knit community with genuine Western character.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $225,000-$250,000 and includes a comprehensive benefits package featuring employer-subsidized medical, dental, and vision coverage; a generous 403(b) retirement plan with employer match; paid time off and holidays; life and disability insurance; and a variety of employee wellness and museum-related benefits. The Sigler Western Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Anne McCarthy and Amber Brown. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.