Ellen Owens

“Listening involves moving outside of your own lived experience to learn from someone else's, which is particularly important in elevating the voices of those who do not hold power.”

Prior to joining the Penn Museum in May 2014, Ellen served as the Executive Director of community arts center Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens for five years, where she established vibrant core programs, quadrupled attendance, and secured significant funding from the NEA. Ellen has been an adjunct professor in the Museum Studies graduate program at University of the Arts for ten years.

Ellen graduated with honors from Pennsylvania State University, earning a B.A. in Art Education and a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing. She received her M.A. in Museum Education from the University of the Arts and completed Executive Education for Museum Leaders at the Getty Leadership Institute. Ellen believes deeply in live-long learning and is a (semi) practicing artist and an amateur mycologist.

What does leadership mean to you?

“More and more, I find that the concept of leadership is about about listening. Leadership involves listening to your staff, listening to colleagues, listening to your audiences and outside voices, and, at points, taking the time to listen to yourself and reflect on your own actions. Listening is not passive, and is done with your ears and also with your eyes. It involve consulting others often, processing the information, and actively incorporating parts of it in your decision making and actions. Listening involves moving outside of your own lived experience to learn from someone else's, which is particularly important in elevating the voices of those who do not hold power.
Leadership is also about thoughtful and clear communication. After you listen and process, you must help set the course in a way that people understand, feel respected, and feel compelled to action. As a leader, you need to clarify and offer direction, without removing the opportunity for people to carry out their work using their skills, gifts, and problem-solving. There's a healthy tension between clarity and allowing people to help solve issues as they arise. Leaders help to draw the major landmarks on the map, but all team members add the rich details that make it functional to your organization.
Together, I believe listening and communication are two of the skills that are imperative to being a great leader and traits that I constantly strive to improve.”

Biography:

Ellen Owens is the Director of Learning and Public Engagement at the Penn Museum and is part of the Museum's senior leadership team. In her Director role, Ellen works with an incredible, award-winning staff that creates and leads all programming for public audiences. She is a proven fundraiser, having secured several significant grants and gifts from the IMLS, NEA, and others. She currently sits on the Executive Committees for the Board of Directors of the The Print Center and Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Penn Museum in May 2014, Ellen Owens served as the Executive Director of community arts center Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens for five years, where she established vibrant core programs, quadrupled attendance, and secured significant funding from the National Endowment of the Arts. Ellen has been an adjunct professor in the Museum Studies graduate program at University of the Arts for ten years. She graduated with honors from Pennsylvania State University, earning a B.A. in Art Education and a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing. She received her M.A. in Museum Education from the University of the Arts and completed Executive Education for Museum Leaders at the Getty Leadership Institute. Ellen believes deeply in live-long learning and is a [semi] practicing artist and an amateur mycologist.

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