PLYMOUTH – The Museum of the White Mountains (MWM) at Plymouth State University (PSU) has named Meghan Doherty as its new director. After a nationwide search, an interdisciplinary committee of six PSU faculty and staff members selected Doherty, who arrives from Berea College in Kentucky where she served 10 years as the director of the Doris Ullman Galleries, curator of the College Art Collection and as an associate professor of art history. Doherty is a New Hampshire native who grew up in the town of Dummer.

“Having grown up in the North Country, I am excited about the opportunity to bring my expertise in art history into a setting that has deep personal meaning,” said Doherty.

“Meghan’s background in higher education, working with students, and her knowledge of and commitment to the White Mountains region are some of the many factors that made her stand out to the search committee,” said John Scheinman, search committee chair and director of development at PSU. “Meghan’s depth of knowledge and passion for art make her a natural to lead the MWM into its second decade.”

Doherty was first exposed to art history during her time as an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago, and began her career in art as an intern at the Art Institute of Chicago. She remains fascinated by the material culture approach to history and studying historical facts through the objects that people made and used.

“What I love most about academic museums is that the galleries provide a space for students to integrate their critical thinking skills from the classroom into a real-world space. They have the opportunity to think about history differently and encounter objects that bring the past to life,” said Doherty.

Doherty is also currently working on a research book project exploring the developments of conceptions of accuracy in the context of the early Royal Society of London, which was founded in 1660 as a scholarly institution. Her research looks at how visual materials, particularly engravings, allow for people who are separated by place and time to come to an agreement about the identity of a phenomena. The book will be published by Amsterdam University Press in Spring 2022.

The MWM’s new exhibition, “Process Meets Practice: Balancing Creating and Teaching,” features five female artists who have taught and led at PSU and in its art department. The exhibition explores how Barbara Dearborn, Annette Mitchell, Mary Taylor, Susan Tucker and Cynthia Vascak created, instructed, and inspired hundreds of PSU art students over the years in a traditionally male-dominated field. The exhibit will run through February 28, 2022.

MWM is open to the public and admission is free, but advance online registration is required. To learn more about the latest exhibition and to register online, visit www.plymouth.edu/mwm.

To learn more about Plymouth State University, visit www.plymouth.edu.

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