Amy Torbert to join Newfields as Curator of American Art
Torbert comes to Newfields from the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM), where she served since 2018 as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant and then Associate Curator of American Art.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN.—
Newfields announces the appointment of Amy Torbert as Curator of American Art. Following an international search, Newfields leadership identified Torbert as a leading candidate based on her immense curatorial experience, professional accolades and her commitment to community, innovation and storytelling. She will begin her work at Newfields on January 4, 2027.
“We are delighted to welcome Amy Torbert to Newfields as she assumes stewardship of our distinguished American art collection,” said Le Monte G. Booker, Sr., President and CEO of Newfields. “Her appointment reflects our commitment to attracting exceptional talent and advancing the priorities of our five-year strategic plan. Amy brings a depth of expertise and a thoughtful curatorial perspective that will strengthen our institution, enrich the visitor experience, and further our mission to connect people through the power of art. We look forward to the leadership and vision she will bring to our organization.”
Torbert comes to Newfields from the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM), where she served since 2018 as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant and then Associate Curator of American Art. During her tenure, she worked extensively with SLAM’s collection of American art, reinstalled the 18th-century American art gallery and co-curated notable exhibitions, including The Work of Art: The Federal Art Project, 1934–1943 (2024) and Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration (2021), a loan show that brought together over 150 works spanning more than 1000 years of Missouri's history.
Her most recent exhibition, Picturing Independence (2026–27), celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary by exploring artworks in SLAM’s collection that examine how artists have both reflected on and shaped ideas of American independence. This project drew from her dissertation studying depictions of the American Revolution, which was supported by research fellowships from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and Terra Foundation for American Art, among others.
Prior to working at SLAM, Torbert completed curatorial fellowships in American art at the Harvard Art Museums, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Yale University Art Gallery. She also served as a board member for the Association of Historians of American Art, where she helped to support a community of scholars, historians, curators and museum professionals by promoting scholarship on the cultural and artistic history of America. Torbert holds a doctorate in art history from the University of Delaware, a master’s degree from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, and a bachelor’s degree in art history from Hollins University.
“I’m thrilled to join the creative and ambitious team at Newfields,” Torbert said. “It will be an honor to shepherd this outstanding collection, while questioning and expanding definitions of American art for our present moment. I look forward to engaging with both local communities and national networks to ensure that the Museum is a place for everyone.”
At Newfields, Torbert will be responsible for the reinstallation of the American art galleries, furthering the museum’s goals of telling stories that are relevant, inclusive and inspiring while showcasing the extraordinary works in the permanent collection. She will also curate special exhibitions that transform audiences’ understanding of America and American art. Torbert’s role additionally involves the development of the permanent collection through impactful, strategic acquisitions that will meaningfully augment the museum's current holdings.
