(New York, July 30, 2021) – The Frick Collection announced that three new members have been elected to the Board of Trustees. Elizabeth Eveillard, Chair of The Frick Collection Board of Trustees, shared that Virginia “Gini” Barbato, Jane Moss, and David M. Tobey joined the board at its spring meeting, bringing a significant range of experience in the fields of art and philanthropy that will guide the institution through its current renovation and beyond.
“We welcome the service of these new Board members, who join us at a pivotal time for the institution as we welcome visitors to Frick Madison and continue our work renovating our 70th Street home,” says Eveillard. “Their additions are part of an ongoing strategic expansion of our Board in support of the Frick’s overarching mission to share the collection with a broad public.”
“At this rewarding moment in the Frick’s history, we are pleased to benefit from the perspectives of these new Board members, who each comes to us with great professional and philanthropic experience,” says Ian Wardropper, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director. “With their history of strong advocacy for arts education, Gini and Jane will offer fresh and valuable input as we explore programming possibilities at Frick Madison and in our renovated space on 70th Street. A renowned collector of drawings, David will be a welcome voice on our acquisitions committee as we plan for new permanent collection galleries on the historic second floor of the Frick mansion.”
Gini Barbato is an advisory director of the Metropolitan Opera and president and trustee of the Eric and Jane Nord Family Fund, which provides support for the arts, education, social services, and the environment. Barbato has extensive leadership experience from various arts and philanthropic organizations, many in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Currently, she is a trustee at the Cleveland Museum of Art; FRONT International, the Cleveland art triennial; Ideastream; and a national trustee of The Cleveland Orchestra. Barbato earned a BA in history from Flora Stone Mather College, the undergraduate women’s college of Case Western Reserve University, where she also currently serves as a trustee and has previously sat on the Campaign and Visiting Committees. She and her husband Randy have been members of the Frick since 2008, Director’s Circle members since 2019, and supporters of education programs including First Fridays.
Jane Moss is an influential member of the New York City arts community, having most recently served as the Ehrenkranz Artistic Director of Lincoln Center. During her tenure, from 1992 to 2020, she expanded its already impressive portfolio of programs, introducing the White Light Festival, American Songbook, New Visions, and the Lincoln Center Festival. She currently serves as a trustee of the New York Botanical Garden and previously served as the executive director of Meet the Composer, Playwrights Horizons, and the Alliance of Resident Theaters/New York. She has also worked at the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Moss earned a BA in philosophy from Franklin & Marshall College, where she received an honorary doctorate in 2015. In 2006, she was awarded the medal of Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Letters.
David M. Tobey served as group vice president at Philipp Brothers for thirty years, after which he was managing director of the investment company Parkway M&A Capital Corporation and director of DeSoto, Inc., a manufacturer of household paint and detergent. A graduate of Harvard College, he currently serves as director of the Friends of the Budapest Festival Orchestra; an honorary trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he is also a member of the Visiting Committees of the Departments of Drawings and Prints and European Paintings; and a member of the Fairfax Murray Society for the Department of Prints and Drawings at The Morgan Library & Museum. Tobey is a noted connoisseur of Italian Old Master drawings, and his collection was the subject of a 2010 exhibition at the Met. He and his wife, Julie, have been members of the Frick for over two decades and Director’s Circle members since 2008. They have supported several exhibitions at the Frick, including Tiepolo in Milan: The Lost Frescoes of Palazzo Archinto (2019), Turner's Modern and Ancient Ports: Passages through Time (2017), and Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action (2015–2016). Tobey credits his interest in art to his parents, Barney M. Tobey (a cartoonist) and Beatrice Szanton Tobey (a painter), both known for their contributions to the New Yorker.