The LSU Museum of Art (LSU MOA) is excited to announce Michelle Schulte as the new Senior Curator and Director of Programming at the museum as of April 2022.
Image: Michelle Schulte, Senior Curator and Director of Programming at LSU Museum of Art
LSU MOA former Executive Director, Daniel E. Stetson says, "I am excited to have Michelle Schulte join LSU MOA. She brings years of experience as a curator, educator, and museum professional to the leadership team at the museum. Her involvement in the Southeastern Museums Conference, at the highest levels, brings a host of connections and networks to bear on the work of the LSU Museum of Art. Her skills, knowledge, warm personality, and a dedication to museums and their value to communities, will benefit Baton Rouge and LSU MOA for years to come. “
As curator, Michelle Schulte will plan upcoming exhibitions from LSU MOA’s permanent collections, along with traveling exhibitions that will be featured in the museum for the Baton Rouge community and beyond to view and enjoy. Schulte will oversee collection care and will manage LSU MOA traveling exhibitions. As part of the management with the Executive Director and Deputy Director, Schulte will be part of the museum’s leadership. Working with the Executive Director and the curatorial team, she will work on continuing the museum’s goal of acquiring works by underrepresented artists to be added to LSU MOA’s permanent collection, with a focus on museum wide DEAI initiatives. She will lead in developing educational programming for visitors and the local community to learn and engage with exhibitions. As senior curator, she will also spearhead collaboration with the LSU College of Art + Design / School of Art on exhibition projects featuring selected visiting artists, along with developing related programming to engage students and the broader Baton Rouge community.
"It’s important to do what makes you happy. We are excited that Michelle Schulte has moved to Baton Rouge and chose the LSU Museum of Art for the next chapter in her curatorial career. Schulte has received a warm welcome from staff, our donors, and community members. Apparent in her demeanor, Louisiana culture will suit her well." –Nedra Hains, LSU MOA Deputy Director
Michelle Schulte has an extensive background in museum and gallery management, art education, and Southern art and history and its relationship to and impact on current events and societal inequities. She has a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland; Georgia State Teacher Certification in Art Education from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia (now Georgia Southern University, Armstrong Campus); and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Schulte has worked as Gallery Director / Chief Curator for the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts at Pensacola State College in Pensacola, Florida and Gallery Director and Adjunct Faculty at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland where she gained extensive knowledge on collection care, museum standards and practices, and creating programming through university collaboration. She also served as the Curator of Education at the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia where she gained skills in curating exhibitions, collaborating with artists and community partners, and networking with peer institutions across the Southeast. At the Morris Museum of Art, she established an Education Gallery and developed a space dedicated to teaching visitors about art movements and contemporary artists. Schulte also currently serves as a volunteer leader for the Southeastern Museums Conference, which focuses on museum professional development and organizational practices, along with other achievements and recognitions.
ABOUT LSU MUSEUM OF ART
LSU Museum of Art seeks to enrich and inspire through collections, exhibitions, conservation, and education, serving as a cultural and intellectual resource for the University, Baton Rouge, and beyond.
LSU Museum of Art is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, funded by the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President and Metro Council. Additional support is provided by generous donors to the Annual Exhibition Fund, members, and community partners. Supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Art Bridges and Junior League of Baton Rouge. Thank you to the following sponsors of Free Friday Nights and Free First Sundays at LSU MOA: Louisiana Lottery Corporation and IBERIABANK, a division of First Horizon, for sponsoring free admission and Louisiana CAT for sponsoring programming.
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