Masha Turchinsky, the HRM’s Anita K. Hersh Director and CEO, was recently a special guest on the Behind the Screens podcast, presented by Enormous Production, in collaboration with IntoxiKate’s Kate Schlientz and Westchester Magazine. The podcast dives deep into different professions, speaking directly with experts in their fields to uncover new insights and business acumen. In this episode, host Kate Schlientz talks to Masha about her professional journey that led to leading the Hudson River Museum, the strategies she uses for maintaining the HRM’s status as a vibrant cultural destination in Westchester County, and her vision for the future.

Speaking to the unique strengths of the Hudson River Museum, Masha said: “One thing that we delight in doing, and I would even immodestly say we do really well, is if there is a particular topic that’s coming up we can more nimbly grab a work from our collection and just showcase it so that people can think about it. We can make that decision here. A museum like The Met, or MoMa, or the Art Institute of Chicago is like a big ship. And it has to turn very slowly in the water. And we are more like a fantastic sailboat that can pivot with the tide. That way we can say, you know what? The time is right for this particular artist to come out, and all it takes sometimes to spark that idea and for people to have that ‘aha!’ moment is one work of art.”

Be sure to watch the full podcast episode for more!