Linda Bahm has been appointed to be the new director of the University Art Museum. She has worked as interim director since 2001, and associate director since 1985. Baum's first major project will be to seek professional accreditation for the 40 year old museum. She also wants to increase the professional staff, and develop greater collaboration with all departments within the university.
“There is an excitement to doing exhibits,” says Bahm. “You do research, have opening nights, and you have a chance to learn how people collect. The stories are fascinating.”
The University Art Museum began as a gallery and project to support fine arts and photography classes. It now owns a collection of 31-thousand objects, most of them works on paper. The photography collection is internationally recognized. The museum is also the repository of the Tamarind Institute archives.
Bahm says she will continue to try to expand the Latin American and Native American collections, and the painting and sculpture collections. In addition to providing exhibit space for the university art collection, the museum functions as a training ground for museum professionals to teach the conservation of collections.
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627