From the Director It is with great honor and privilege that I take up the role of the Jeffrey Horrell ‘75 and Rodney Rose Director and Chief Curator of the Miami University Art Museum (MUAM). Having recently joined as of August 1, I follow in the footsteps of Dr. Robert Wicks, who steered the museum on a steady keel for the past two decades, while forging new pathways towards exhibitions and programs promoting social justice on topics of race and gender, as well as growing relationships with the Myaamia Tribe through community curation. Bob, thank you for your dedication and years of service! I greatly look forward to applying my prior experience as a professional in museums and cultural heritage to this important role. I’ve lived and worked in the country of my birth, the United Kingdom at the British Museum, London, and Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, and in the United States at the Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago, and the Corning Museum of Glass, NY. Most recently, I served as Associate Director of the American Center of Research, in Amman, Jordan, carrying out archaeological, research and preservation initiatives. The common thread to my diverse career has been my love of art, history and connecting art and objects with people whether in the past or present! At the core of our mission, MUAM recognizes and celebrates global artistic and cultural diversity through display, study, publication and programs. This contributes to our approach in preserving and expanding our collections, and teaching about visual culture. Alongside the College of Creative Arts and Miami University as a whole, the Art Museum is also strongly committed to social justice and anti-racism. There are great opportunities ahead. Future priorities include raising support to expand the museum to better preserve and grow our collections, as well as improve space for visitors, staff, faculty and students in teaching. We will seek support for new endowments for key museum staff, following the generosity of Jeffrey Horrell (‘75) and Rodney Rose in endowing the Director and Chief Curator position. More and more of our collections will be accessible online, an effort taking place alongside other museums across campus through the Museums Miami Center.
recognize the contributions of Curator of Education, Cynthia Collins, and Preparator/Building Manager, Mark DeGennaro who both recently retired from the museum after 17 and 27 years of service respectively to the university and local community. We welcome David Dotson, our new Preparator/Building Manager, who joined the museum staff this summer. I know that challenges we faced during the pandemic will remain with us for some time to come, yet we are resilient and can return stronger than ever. The pandemic provided a creative catalyst within education, museums, and the art world, as well as time and space for reflection. We have seen the emergence of new ideas and technological advances. As we enter this new era, we remain positive and focused on teaching, learning, and sharing in innovative ways with our visitors, including students, faculty and staff, and members of the local community of Oxford and the surrounding area. I am so excited about our Faculty and Alumni Exhibition and related programs, which occurs once every four years – so don’t miss it! I warmly invite you to visit in person as well as engage with our in-person and virtual programs, and to be inspired and share your experience with others. I look forward to getting to know and learning from you all!
I want to recognize and thank the staff of the College of Creative Arts and MUAM who have been so warm and welcoming. I also Volume 10, Issue 1 | Fall 2021
ART MUSEUM
John (Jack) D.M. Green Jeffrey Horrell ‘75 and Rodney Rose Director and Chief Curator of the Miami University Art Museum 3
