EASTON, MD.- The Academy Art Museum has announced Lee Glazer’s appointment as Senior Curator beginning February 20, 2024. Glazer brings to AAM more than 20 years of experience in American art museums, serving in leadership, curatorial and educational programming roles.

Director Sarah Jesse states, “We are delighted that Lee will be joining the Academy at an exciting time of growth for the museum, as we originate new exhibitions, expand the collection, and build a state-of-the art collection storage annex. Lee’s expertise in generating rigorous exhibitions that resonate with broad audiences will make her an invaluable addition to the team.”

Dr. Glazer leaves her current role as director of the Museum Programs Division at the National Archives to join the team at AAM. There, she led the administrative, operational, and programmatic activities, including a $60-million redesign of the permanent galleries and learning center. 

Prior, she was the inaugural Director of the Lunder Institute for American Art, a prestigious initiative within the Colby College Museum of Art, and Curator of American Art at the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art from 2007-2018. Among the notable exhibitions she curated was a reinstallation of James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room that showcased the Asian ceramics collected by museum founder Charles Lang Freer, as well as Filthy Lucre, a reimagining of Whistler's decorative interior by contemporary painter Darren Waterston.

“The Board of Trustees is thrilled to have Lee join us as our new Senior Curator. With Lee’s experience she will play a key role in driving our exhibitions and acquisition program forward; helping us achieve our goals of promoting a strong vision for our permanent collection and exhibitions and increasing our visibility. With Lee’s multifold experiences at the Freer, the Lunder Institute and the National Archives she is uniquely suited to create for the Academy Art Museum an exciting program that has access points for both seasoned art connoisseurs and those that are at the start of their journey with art,” said AAM Board Chair Donna Alpi.

Glazer received her PhD in art history from University of Pennsylvania, her MA in English literature from Yale, and a BA in art history from George Mason University. She has lectured and published on a wide range of art historical topics, including the artist James McNeill Whistler and American aestheticism.

“With its commitment to capacious storytelling, creative expression, and community engagement, the Academy Art Museum is contributing to a new paradigm for what local cultural institutions can be and do. I am thrilled to serve as the next senior curator at the Academy, a museum so clearly rooted in its local community and engaged with the larger artworld," said Dr. Glazer.

As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as Hosey Corona, Richard Diebenkorn, Latoya Hobbs, Pat Steir and James Turrell. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide, Zanele Muholi and Alyson Shotz. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a Fall Craft Show celebrating 27 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.