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Corcoran Slashes Staff And Plots New Course

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Greenhalgh is a British scholar who most recently directed the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. He is a specialist in the decorative arts and artistic movements from 1850 to 1940. Washingtonians may remember a successful art nouveau exhibition he organized that traveled to the National Gallery of Art in 2000.

The Corcoran reported a deficit of $1.5 million to $1.8 million for the fiscal year that ended in June. Since then, the gallery has implemented some money-saving moves, such as closing on Mondays and freezing salaries.

But people familiar with the layoffs were at pains to say they were more about doing things differently than strictly saving money. Indeed, the Corcoran's Web site indicates that it intends to hire two additional teachers for the college.

Greenhalgh told his audience Thursday that he didn't want any more red ink at the Corcoran. But while saving money, he is also apparently hoping to chart a somewhat new course, the direction of which has yet to emerge.

Staff writers Blake Gopnik and Kate Wichmann contributed to this report.

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