HARTFORD, CONN.- The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art announced today that Anne Butler Rice has been appointed the next Georgette Auerbach Koopman Director of Education.

"Anne Rice has long been an integral driver of the innovative programming we offer at the Wadsworth Atheneum," said Thomas J. Loughman, Director and C.E.O. "As the Koopman Director of Education we expect Anne's experience and skills to flourish as she leads the team in their vital work linking people to exceptional works of art, while strengthening ties to our educational communities and bringing to Hartford innovation from the fields of art museum interpretation and visitor experience."

In her new post Rice will oversee public and community programs, school and teacher programs, the docent and tour program and visitor services. In addition to continuing the current successes of the team, Rice intends to place an emphasis on collaboration with the region's higher education community, forming stronger relationships with colleges and universities and providing more structure to the opportunities offered to students and faculty. Another focus will be in-gallery interpretation, as Rice and her team work with curators to build upon existing content and create fresh vehicles-including the digital-through which the museum visitor can encounter and experience art.

"Working with Anne on the museum's Education Committee has been a pleasure," said Michael Klein, Executive Vice President and President of Personal Insurance at Travelers and Chair of the Wadsworth Atheneum's Education Committee. "Anne's knowledge of museum practices, positive attitude, and inspiring leadership will serve the museum well as it embraces its future in the global marketplace as well as in Hartford."

Rice has held positions of increasing responsibility since joining the Wadsworth Atheneum's staff in 2005. As Associate Museum Educator for Adult Audiences she developed educational programs related to permanent collections and special exhibitions for adults including lectures, concerts, gallery drawing courses, workshops, art history courses and special needs services. As the Associate Museum Educator for Public Programs Rice launched Second Saturdays, the museum's monthly mission-driven program for children and families. In her more recent role as Public Programs Manager, Rice played a leading role in the museum's Community Engagement Initiative, and was active in securing major grants to support interpretive programming for the museum's newly reinstalled European Art galleries, contributing to overall interpretive goals and in-gallery print and digital didactics. Rice has served as the Interim Director of Education since Johanna Plummer's departure last fall.

Before joining the Wadsworth Atheneum in 2005, Rice was the Museum Educator for Teacher Programs at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York City. She has held lecturing and teaching positions at the Yale University Art Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art at both the main museum and at The Cloisters, the Cathedral and Treasury of St. Mary in Aachen, Germany, and at Brandeis University. Rice holds a B.A. in the History of Art and Religion from Bowdoin College, and an M.A. in Religion with a concentration in Art History from Yale University.