I am a museum curator, historian, and writer dedicated to bringing art and material culture to life through exhibitions, research, and storytelling. My latest project, Susan Watkins and Women Artists of the Progressive Era, explores the work of often-overlooked women artists who helped shape American art at the turn of the twentieth century. Opening in 2025, the exhibition and its accompanying catalogue—published in association with Yale University Press—highlight their contributions and introduce new scholarship to the field.

With experience stewarding large and diverse collections, I’ve organized exhibitions ranging from focused studies of individual artists to broad thematic projects that connect art to cultural and historical movements. One of my most rewarding projects, Americans in Spain: Painting and Travel, 1820–1920, was a groundbreaking international exhibition that brought together major works from the U.S. and Europe to tell a new story about American art and global mobility.

Research is at the core of my curatorial practice. I’ve written and edited multiple exhibition catalogues and contributed essays to journals such as The Burlington Magazine and Panorama. I’m especially drawn to uncovering overlooked narratives and offering fresh perspectives on familiar works—whether through new scholarship, thoughtful acquisitions, or imaginative exhibition design.

A vital part of my work involves building collections and relationships. I’ve helped secure transformative acquisitions and successfully written grants from the NEH, NEA, and major foundations to support exhibitions and publications. I believe museums thrive when they connect meaningfully with their communities, and I’m committed to bridging scholarship and public engagement in dynamic, accessible ways.

I hold a Ph.D. in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of Virginia and have held curatorial roles and fellowships at institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. My passion for museums—their complexities, contradictions, and power to shape cultural understanding—continues to inspire my work every day.