NEW YORK, NY.- The Morgan Library & Museum announced the appointment of Jennifer Kalter as Director of Education and Public Programs. Kalter will lead the activities of the department, which include organizing concerts, lectures, readings, films, tours, and family and school programs. With the Morgan’s Centennial approaching in 2024, Kalter’s arrival positions the institution for renewed community engagement during the Centennial and beyond.
“It is my pleasure to welcome Jennifer Kalter to the Morgan,” said the Morgan’s Director, Colin B. Bailey. “Our public programs and education initiatives are essential components of the Morgan’s engagement with the public in our mission to provide access to one of the world’s finest collections of manuscripts, printed books, and drawings. I look forward to working with Jennifer to expand the Morgan’s outreach, including through special programming for our Centennial and marquee initiatives, such as the Morgan Book Project.”
Kalter has been a museum educator and administrator for over twenty years and is committed to making museums accessible and relevant. She has worked in a variety of cultural institutions and has held positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Met Cloisters, the American Folk Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the New York Transit Museum, among others. Her research interests, national conference presentations, and papers include topics such as audience development, accessibility, empathy, and digital learning. She holds certifications in nonprofit leadership and mindfulness instruction and has a B.A. and M.A. in Art History with a focus on Medieval Art.
As part of her new role, Kalter will oversee the Morgan Library & Museum’s school programs, which are anchored in teaching philosophies that define education as a way of building children’s confidence as selfreliant seekers of knowledge and independent-minded creative thinkers. The Morgan’s architectural complex and world-renowned literary and art collections have much to contribute to K–12 social studies, visual arts, language arts, and a number of scientific disciplines. Exploring with the Morgan, the Morgan’s school program in the arts and humanities, complements the school curriculum by engaging students in the direct observation of primary sources, such as Mesopotamian seals and tablets, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, rare printed books, master drawings, and period architecture. It also offers a unique hands-on experience with unusual art materials. The program’s focus on multiculturalism complies with the Common Core State Standards and makes the Morgan learning experience culturally relevant to a vast number of students of non-Western backgrounds.
Kalter, who begins in her role at the Morgan on Monday, November 13, 2023, stated, “As a regular visitor to the Morgan Library & Museum, I have admired the outstanding and diverse collections and exhibitions and commitment to high-quality education and public programming, and am thrilled to join the Morgan at this time as its Centennial approaches. I look forward to working with Colin B. Bailey and staff across the institution on initiatives that continue to prioritize access to and engagement with everything the Morgan has to offer.”
