TACOMA, WA.- Tacoma Art Museum Director Stephanie A. Stebich has named Margaret Bullock Curator of Collections and Special Exhibitions. She will begin her work at the museum this September. Most recently, Bullock was curator and collections manager at the Harwood Museum of Art at the University of New Mexico in Taos , which preserves, collects, and exhibits historic and contemporary art and culture of the Taos region. Previously she worked at the Portland Art Museum , first as Curatorial Assistant in 1998, then Assistant Curator of American Art, and finally as Associate Curator of American Art in 2001.

Bullock holds degrees from University of Colorado , Boulder (B.A. in Art History/English Literature, 1986); Washington State University (M.A. in Anthropology, 1992); and University of Oregon (M.A. in Art History, 1996).

“Margaret’s background and expertise are an excellent match for this newly created position,” said Stebich. “Her arrival will mark the completion of the museum’s newly restructured curatorial department. Working with Rock Hushka, our Director of Curatorial Administration and Curator of Contemporary and Northwest Art, Margaret will build on the museum’s tradition of presenting important exhibitions of historic American and European art and will focus on new research of the museum’s core collections. Margaret also will play a key role in the museum’s development of major special exhibitions with accompanying scholarly publications.”

Bullock is enthused about her new post. “This is a wonderful opportunity to work with a dynamic and creative group of people,” she said. “Stephanie's commitment to making the museum an integral part of the community, coupled with Rock's curatorial focus on the art of the Northwest, has created a unique environment that offers endless possibilities for exploring the museum's collections in new ways. I look forward to working at Tacoma Art Museum and once again being a part of the Northwest art community.”

At the Harwood Museum of Art, Bullock focused on curating exhibitions on northern New Mexico artists, most notably John Suazo: 30 Year Retrospective. At Portland Art Museum , she spearheaded reinstallations of the American and Northwest permanent collection galleries. Other notable exhibitions she organized include Childe Hassam: Impressionist in the West; Morris Graves, A Language of Symbols; Laverne Krause: Prints from the Permanent Collection; and 19th Century American Silver. While at PAM, she also coordinated major traveling exhibitions of Russian and American decorative arts, as well as exhibitions of the works of John Singer Sargent, Norman Rockwell, and Grandma Moses, among others.

Since 1963, Tacoma Art Museum has built a collection that includes works from world-renown artists such as Mary Cassatt, Jean Baptiste, Camille Corot, Dale Chihuly, Edgar Degas, Robert Henri, Edward Hopper, Jacob Lawrence, Robert Rauschenberg, Pierre August Renoir, John Singer Sargent, Everett Shinn, and Andrew Wyeth. Nearly seventy percent of the collection consists of works from Northwest artists such as Morris Graves, Jacob Lawrence, Joseph Park, Barbara Earl Thomas, and Patti Warashina.

Tacoma Art Museum connects people and builds community through art. The museum serves the diverse communities of the region through its collection, exhibitions, and learning programs, emphasizing art and artists from the Northwest. The museum’s five galleries display an array of major national shows, the best of Northwest art, creatively themed exhibitions, and historical retrospectives. In addition, there is an Education Wing for children, adults, and seniors with an art resource center, classroom, and studio for art making. Tacoma Art Museum is located in Tacoma ’s Museum District, near the Museum of Glass , the Washington State History Museum , and historic Union Station.