The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art has a new Curator of Collections and Exhibitions.
Marilyn Laufer, director of the museum, has announced Dennis Harper will be the museum curator.
The selection process occurred last fall, and interviews were held before Christmas.
“We interviewed a number of very qualified candidates, and our search committee found Dennis to be the best fit for our program here,” Laufer said.
Before he began at the museum in March, Harper served as Curator of Exhibitions and Exhibition Designer at the Georgia Museum of Art.
During his time in Georgia, he organized a variety of projects.
He oversaw “Cut Along the Gain,” a survey of wood from the museum’s permanent collection.
He also organized “Weaving His Art on Golden Looms: Paintings and Drawings by Art Rosenbaum,” a recognition of one of the most influential and successful southern contemporary artists.
His project on Art Rosenbaum was the recipient of the Award of Excellence for Exhibitions from the Southeastern Museum Conference.
It was also named Outstanding Exhibition and Catalogue of Contemporary Materials by the Southeastern Art Conference.
Harper has also served as a writer for “Coming Home: American Painting, 1930-1950, from the Schoen Collection” and for “The American Scene on Paper,” which are both volumes published by the Georgia Museum of Art.
In 2003, Harper served as curatorial adviser for Georgia for the National Museum of Women in the Arts “From the States.”
He served as a board member for this exhibition, as well as the former vice president of Athens Institute for Contemporary Art.
Harper received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and then he received a master’s of fine arts from the University of Georgia.
Prior to his residence in Georgia, he was collections manager from 1981 to 1989 at Wildenstein and Co. in New York.
While he is accomplished in the museum field, he is also a visual artist.
His exhibitions are shown across the country and abroad.
He was a studio instructor at the University of Georgia also served on the university’s faculty in Cortona, Italy.
Harper was recently part of the restoration of New Deal-era frescos and murals on Georgia’s campus.
“I’m really happy to be here. It’s a great community and a wonderful staff,” Harper said.
