Branagan

They also capture the museum's unique niche, Ms. Branagan says: "We're committed to a living history of American art, and we're the only institution where the permanent collection is built through the lens of artists and architects."

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

They've generally been "thrilled" to join, Ms. Branagan says, because the honor connects them with art history, and they've lowered the percentage of members older than 70 to 66%.

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

To bring it back from the financial brink, Ms. Branagan—whose previous experience included posts at the National Audubon Society and the American Craft Council, but none at art museums—had to facilitate a change in governance.

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

The benchmark is low: Past attendance has averaged a meager 20,000 annually and Ms. Branagan is projecting a mere 20% increase over the next three years.

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

Ms. Branagan has one more goal—which speaks to the National Academy's very essence.

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

This month, Carmine Branagan, the National Academy's petite, self-assured director, hopes to put all that behind her.

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

"You'll see something that has a 'wow,'" Ms. Branagan says.

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

"A lot of the arguments against centered on painting as the core of the academy," Ms. Branagan said, "so if it's opened up to photographers, installation artists and others, that would diminish the legacy of the academy and create an academy that is unrecognizable."

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

When the National Academy was founded in 1825, "it was the only game in town," Ms. Branagan says—there were no galleries, no museums, and few followers of American artists.

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011

But even if all that goes well, Ms. Branagan faces a two-fold challenge: In a city loaded with museums, what niche exists for hers?

The Academic Dilemma Judith H. Dobrzynski 2011