BEVERLY — Carey Cranston of Beverly has been appointed the inaugural president of the American Writers Museum, which expects to debut in April Downtown.
The museum will be perched on the second floor of 180 N. Michigan Ave. near Lake Street. Those behind the creation of the museum expect it to draw some 200,000 visitors per year, Cranston said.
"I was looking for a new opportunity, personally. And I couldn't have found anything better," Cranston said during an interview at the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library.
The library at 9525 S. Halsted St. in Washington Heights features a traveling exhibit courtesy of the new museum. It showcases Chicago authors Studs Terkel and Richard Wright along with poet Gwendolyn Brooks and playwright Lorraine Hansberry.
Meanwhile, construction is underway at the 11,000-square-foot museum that will feature themed galleries, interactive displays and educational programs. The museum will open with an exhibit on Jack Kerouac, Cranston said.
The scroll of paper Kerouac used to write "On the Road" will be available for viewing and about 10 feet of the classic tale will be visible to those visiting the museum, said Cranston, who has lived in Beverly for the past 14 years.
Prior to his new job, Cranston served as president of Fox College, a career-focused school with campuses in south suburban Bedford Park and Tinley Park. He's also worked as a vice president for Hill & Knowlton, a New York-based public relations firm.
Despite careers in administration and public relations, Cranston said he always pictured himself working in academia or with libraries. He fell in love with literature while earning a degree in English from DePaul University.
He later earned a graduate degree in English from University of Illinois at Chicago and another master's degree in library and information sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
This led to brief stints teaching english at DePaul and UIC for Cranston.
He said though the museum will be in Chicago, it will spotlight writers from throughout the country, which has long been the intent of Malcolm O'Hagan, the former CEO of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association who spearheaded the creation of the museum after a visit to his native Ireland.
While abroad, O'Hagan visited the Dublin Writers Museum, which showcases authors who have contributed to Irish literature. The Washington D.C. native wondered why such a museum did not exist for American writers. Thus, he set out to build one.
O'Hagan said that Cranston was chose from "a large pool of qualified candidates from around the country."
"His experience and track record, along with his love and appreciation for writing and books, give him the ideal credentials to be a strong leader for this museum," O'Hagan said in announcing Cranston's appointment.
"Our goal is to be a national museum," Cranston said. "We are not focused on pieces. We are focused on stories."
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