Jennifer McLerran

Art Museum director connects
with new position

The new director of the NAU Art Museum is ready to start working with others to develop new programs and collaborations.

"The NAU Art Museum currently has a great program," Jennifer McLerran said. "I look forward to working in conjunction with other faculty and museums in the area to develop these programs even further."

McLerran recently relocated from Athens, Ohio, where she served as curator of the Kennedy Museum of American Art since 2001.

"Dr. McLerran possesses gallery and curatorial experience that will take the NAU Art Museum to a new level," said Liz Grobsmith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. "Her knowledge of Native American art, her strong background in museum instruction as well as her collaboration with the Museum of Northern Arizona will provide a dynamic future for the program."

McLerran looks forward to using her background and contacts to develop a strong educational program for the Art Museum.

"Native American art is my specialty," McLerran said. "I would like to see contemporary Native American art exhibited as well as work with students to give them more curatorial experience."

McLerran began her academic career in 1988 teaching painting at Colorado State University. She went on to teach criticism of visual arts, photography history and feminist thought at Ohio University in 1996. After earning her doctorate in art history in 1999 at the University of Washington, she became an assistant professor of women's studies at Ohio University.

In October, McLerran will curate "Ohio Collects Native American Art" for the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster. She has started curation of a Navajo weaving exhibition with D.Y. Begay at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

Her book, A New Deal for Native Art, will be published in 2008 by University of Arizona Press. The book is a study of federally funded Native American arts projects during the New Deal.

McLerran said is happy to be in Flagstaff and continuing her scholarship. "I have a huge interest in this mix of cultures in the Southwest and in the history. Moving here was meant to be."