The executive director of the Museum of the Moving Image, Carl Goodman, pictured, is stepping down after 12 years in the role. (Photo provided by the Museum of the Moving Image)
Jan 25, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
The executive director of the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria is stepping down after 12 years in the role.
Carl Goodman will leave his post and depart the institution on March 3, according to a statement released by the organization Wednesday.
Goodman, who first joined the media museum as an educator in 1989, is leaving to take up the role of President and CEO of The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg.
Under his tenure as executive director, Goodman led the 35th Avenue museum to a three-fold increase in annual attendance, following on from the museum’s $67 million renovation and expansion project that was completed in 2011. The museum explores the art, history, and technology of film, television, and digital media.
During Goodman’s stewardship, the museum also acquired a major collection of puppets and other material belonging to puppeteer Jim Henson, who created The Muppets and Fraggle Rock. The collection features in a permanent gallery and exhibition at the museum, while a traveling version of the exhibition continues to tour the country.
A puppet of Kermit the Frog at the Jim Henson Exhibition at MoMI (Photo via Facebook)
Goodman also navigated MoMI’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by creating new online content and programs, while he also helped establish new initiatives to increase the representation of media makers with autism at the museum.
Additionally, Goodman helped the museum secure millions of dollars in funding from government and private donors for capital projects – including a $5 million grant via State Senator Michael Gianaris in December.
Goodman, who also served as Curator of Digital Media and Senior Deputy Director at MoMI, said that he was privileged to lead the organization and that the museum has a bright future.
“It has been my distinct honor to work with such talented and hard-working colleagues, and to have had the backing of our Board of Trustees, to increase [the] visibility of and support for MoMI, a spectacular museum devoted to the world’s most powerful form of expression,” Goodman said.
“MoMI is in an excellent position to enter its new era.”
Ivan Lustig, the co-chair of MoMI’s board of trustees, said that Goodman will leave a lasting legacy.
“With education at the core of everything the Museum does, Carl furthered the museum’s commitment to digital media literacy, especially focused on New York City youth and students,” Lustig said.
“Carl’s impact on the museum is immense, and we look forward to building on the momentum created under his leadership.”
The Board of Trustees, led by Lustig and co-chair Michael Barker, has formed a search committee to begin the process of hiring a new Executive Director, the organization said.
Meanwhile, Barker said the museum prospered under Goodman’s leadership.
“His careful direction led us to expand the Museum’s reach, raise our profile in the film and media industries, and build on our ongoing commitment to education and community engagement,” Barker said. “We look forward to expanding on his legacy as we usher in this new era of our institution.”
The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria (Photo: Facebook)
