Tacoma Art Museum has announced the appointment Laura F. Fry as the Haub Curator of Western American Art. She will join the museum in April 2013. Fry will create, articulate, and implement a vision for the newly acquired Haub Collection of Western American Art. She will play a central role in the planning and preparation for the opening of the new Haub Galleries, and will shape a new collecting and educational focus for the museum and community.
Fry has worked at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, since 2009 as an integral part of the curatorial team who developed the Buffalo Bill Museum’s new 15,000-foot reinstallation of the permanent collection. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a world leader in presenting authentic interpretations of the American West, educating and entertaining audiences about the past, present, and future of the West. Fry is collaborating with Western American Art scholar Peter H. Hassrick to create the second edition of the Frederic Remington Catalogue Raisonné, and authoring an essay for the publication that explores the connection between Frederic Remington and William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. She has a research background in Western American Art starting with graduate coursework at the University of Denver and continuing with her work at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Her research has explored how the imagery of the West has helped to shape American history, identity, and myth–from early 19th century through today. Fry’s previous museum positions include the University of Denver’s Myhren Gallery and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art in Denver.
She will begin her new position by immersing herself in preparations for the new Haub Galleries, including an intensive investigation of the Haub Collection, working with the architects and staff on the designs for the new galleries, crafting an inaugural catalogue of the collection, and creating a robust exhibition and public outreach education plan. www.tacomaartmuseum.org