News
August 2, 2017Albany Institute of History & Art Welcomes New Director of Education
The Albany Institute of History & Art has a new Director of Education: Maria Vann.
Maria Vann was the former Director/Chief Curator of the Maritime Museum at Battleship Cove. Vann has worked for institutions including the Iroquois Indian Museum, New York State Historical Association, Fenimore Art Museum, and as an adjunct history professor at SUNY College at Oneonta.
The Albany Institute’s Executive Director Tammis Groft was happy to make the appointment: “Maria brings a wealth of experience to the museum, including ‘best practices’ in museum education, knowledge of New York State history, and strong interests in American art.”
“I am thrilled to begin work at the Albany Institute of History & Art because of its rich legacy and service to diverse audiences that fosters real connections for visitors to and from the Capital Region,” says Vann. “As a museum educator, I am committed to providing an environment where each visitor can make new and sometimes reflective personal connections and I am excited to support this museum as a community focused site for deep learning and fun.”
Vann has created and conducted an array of educational programs for school groups aligned with learning standards as well as programs for the general public and home schoolers. She has conducted children’s programs including art workshops and camps, organized history and art lectures with the likes of Victoria Wyeth and Carol Berkin, planned multi-disciplinary workshops, was a Conference on New York State History committee member, and conducted events such as juried art shows and several Iroquois cultural festivals.
Her experience includes providing professional development opportunities for teachers throughout New York State which included conducting a two-year long Teaching American History Grant program for educators throughout Rockland County and several October Conferences for Teachers. Vann has managed and trained docents and interpreters for tours and in the use of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS). She has supervised teen interpreters for Native American programming, interns for college credit and experience, and graduate students working toward degrees in museum studies and public history.
In addition, Vann has piloted historical research for interpretive documents such as highlight guides for art exhibitions, historic buildings, and was a museum consultant for the D & H Canal Linear Park in Sullivan County. Her creation of curriculum for educators includes pre-& post visit materials and distance learning for children/youth about subjects such as the Erie Canal, Iroquois culture, and HMS Titanic.
Vann has published academic articles about subjects such as Hercules Mulligan, Dutch Colonial Women, Azorean role during World War II, Iroquois Arts, and presented at conferences including AASLH and the International Congress of Maritime History in Ghent, Belgium. She authored the 2015 Morris prize winning article Sirens of the Sea: Female Slave Ship Owners of the Atlantic World, 1650-1870 published in CORIOLIS: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Maritime Studies. Vann has served as a guest curator for exhibitions, served as museum consultant, and created educational materials for museums including the National Baseball Hall of Fame, New York State Museum, and the D & H Canal Museum.
She has a BS in History from SUNY College at Oneonta and an MA in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program.
