Comic-Con museum in Balboa Park hires its 1st director
The Comic-Con museum planned for Balboa Park has its first executive director.
Adam Smith, a 20-year museum professional who most recently worked on building an attraction based on vintage aircraft in Dallas, will lead the fledgling cultural attraction, slated to open as early as next year.
The site is the former San Diego Hall of Champions sports museum, located southwest of the Prado promenade.
Hall of Champions officials closed the longtime exhibit facility this summer.
The Comic-Con museum is planned as a permanent, year-round exhibit space devoted to popular art, comics, film and television.
The effort comes from the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con International, the once-a-year downtown pop culture convention that attracts throngs of people to the city each summer.
Comic-Com officials said there was a “daunting” search for almost a year to find the right leader.
“In Adam, we feel we have found the perfect balance of fan enthusiasm and necessary expertise to bring this new endeavor to life,” said David Glanzer, chief communications and strategy officer of Comic-Con International, in a press release.
Smith was most recently executive vice president for strategic development at Commemorative Air Force, a group based in Dallas that is raising funds for a new aviation attraction based on World War II aircraft.
The president of that group credited Smith with having creativity and knowing how to use it within the constraints of what’s available.
“It’s doesn’t matter what the subject is,” Robert Stenevik said, adding that Smith has a knack for knowing what people want to see.
Smith, who didn’t want to comment when reached Tuesday for this story, said in a news release that his immediate goals are hiring staff and meeting with stakeholders.
“I am excited that my lifelong passion for pop culture, science fiction, and comics combined with my experience in museum management will blend effortlessly in our efforts to get this new facility off the ground,” Smith said in the statement.
Smith earned a post-graduate degree in museum and gallery studies at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, according to his LinkedIn page. He attended the University of Leeds in England for a bachelor’s degree in history.
Comic-Con was founded in San Diego in 1970 as a gathering for comic-book fans.
It has grown into a pop-culture and entertainment juggernaut that attracts more than 130,000 attendees, the largest of any convention in San Diego.
Comic-Con organizers struck an agreement with the city to get the 68,000-square-foot space for no rent, a common deal for arts institutions housed in the park.
Comic-Con museum to open in Balboa Park »
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