Daily News

Eric Carle Museum Announces New Chief Curator

AMHERST — The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art announced that Ellen Keiter has joined the staff this month as the museum’s new chief curator. Keiter is replacing H. Nichols Clark, the museum’s founding director and chief curator. Clark, who retired in December after more than 13 years with the Carle, will continue in an emeritus role as a visiting lecturer and guest curator for the museum.

Keiter brings to the Carle more than 20 years of professional museum experience. Most recently, she was the director of exhibitions at the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, N.Y., specializing in contemporary art. Among the many exhibitions she curated are “Jasper Johns & John Lund: Masters in the Print Studio,” “Eye to I: 3,000 Years of Portraits,” and “Shattering Glass: New Perspectives.”

During her 13 years at Katonah, she also met and worked with numerous children’s-book illustrators through the museum’s Children’s Learning Center, which is dedicated to the display and celebration of original picture book art. Prior to her work at Katonah, Keiter was the curator of exhibitions at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, N.Y. She has a bachelor’s degree in art history from Muhlenberg College and a master’s degree in art history from American University.

“Ellen brings tremendous energy, warmth, and experience to this important role and will be an exceptional leader for our growing exhibition program and collection,” said museum Executive Director Alexandra Kennedy. “She has a great interest in collaboration and partnership. She will work closely with the board and both the collections and education teams to continue the tradition of quality and innovation that Nick began.”

As chief curator, Keiter will oversee all aspects of the Carle’s exhibition program, including the acquisition, care, research, and interpretation of the museum’s art collections and special-exhibitions program. She will also manage staff and work regularly with the public, donors, artists, students, and professional colleagues to expand the audience for the Carle and for the larger field of picture-book art.

“I am honored to join the talented team at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art,” said Keiter. “I’m eager to extend the reach of the museum through a robust travel program, while continuing to celebrate picture books with our local, national, and international audience. Just as I vividly recall Robert McCloskey’s Time of Wonder from my childhood, the Carle creates meaningful connections between art and stories that resonate for a lifetime. I am indebted to Nick Clark for his groundbreaking scholarship in the field and for assembling a world-class art collection. He has adeptly built the solid foundation from which the Carle now soars.”