UNIVERSITY PARK — Following a national search, Erin Coe, director of The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, N.Y., has been named director of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State.
Patrick McGrady, the Charles V. Hallman Curator at the museum, will continue to serve as interim director until Coe begins Monday, Sept. 11.
Coe has been director of The Hyde Collection since 2015, previously serving as chief curator from 1999 to 2014. She focused on improving the museum’s accessibility, community engagement and visitor experience, including implementing renovations to the museum’s education wing, which features an upgraded lobby, gallery spaces and significant advancements in technology.
Coe also secured one of the largest gifts in the museum’s history, a major collection of postwar modern art and a $1 million leadership gift that formed the basis of a campaign for an additional gallery and a new art storage addition. The new gallery dedicated to modern and contemporary art opened to the public June 10.
“We are thrilled to welcome someone with Erin’s proven experience as an administrator, fundraiser and curator to the Palmer,” said Barbara Korner, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture. “Her commitment to community engagement and the visitor experience will allow the museum to expand on the programming already offered, helping us to reach an even wider audience.”
During Coe’s 15-year tenure as chief curator of The Hyde Collection, she was responsible for the care, research, interpretation and growth of the museum’s permanent collection of European and American art and its active exhibition program of 10 shows a year. She oversaw the interior restoration of Hyde House, the museum’s historic building and former home of its founders, Louis and Charlotte Hyde.
Coe has curated more than 40 exhibitions, authored more than a dozen publications and juried several regional and national exhibitions.
“I am honored to join the Palmer Museum of Art and the vibrant academic community of Penn State,” said Coe.
“I look forward to increasing the visibility of the Palmer by further expanding the museum’s collections, exhibitions and ties with faculty and students through innovative programming and partnerships. With its experienced staff and exceptional collections, especially in American art, the Palmer Museum is poised to be a leader in the field and I look forward to being at the helm.”
Before joining The Hyde Collection, Coe held positions with the Shaker Museum and Library, the University Art Museum at the University at Albany (SUNY) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She serves on the board of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Forum for Executive Women of the Capital Region and the advisory board of American Women Artists. She holds a master of arts degree from the University at Albany (SUNY), and has worked on her doctorate in the history of art and architecture at Boston University.
The Palmer Museum of Art on the Penn State University Park campus is a free-admission arts resource for the university and surrounding communities in central Pennsylvania. With a collection of 8,300 objects representing a variety of cultures and spanning centuries of art, the Palmer is the largest art museum between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Areas of strength include its collection of American art from the late 18th century to the present, Old Master paintings, photography, ceramics and studio glass, and a growing collection of contemporary art.
The museum is closed for renovations through Monday, Sept. 4.
For more information, visit www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
