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Contact: Kristen Levesque
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Shelburne Museum Hires New Director of Education
SHELBURNE, Vt. (March 21, 2023) Shelburne Museum announced Jason Vrooman as Stiller Family Foundation Director of Education. He joins Shelburne from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, where he was Chief Curator and Director of Engagement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at
Middlebury College Museum of Art.
“Jason is an engaged and a highly experienced museum educator who joins Shelburne Museum at an exciting time as museums reflect on relevance and reinvigoration in educational programming in the post-pandemic world,” said Thomas Denenberg, John Wilmerding Director of Shelburne Museum. “I have long admired Jason’s work, and I’m pleased to welcome him to Shelburne Museum.”
At Middlebury Vrooman held two posts, most recently as Chief Curator and Director of Engagement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and, prior to that, as Curator of Education and Academic Programs. In his role leading education and academic programs, Vrooman partnered with faculty across the curriculum to incorporate art into their syllabi, led trainings and tours for local K-12 teachers and students, expanded access to and diversified membership in Middlebury’s student museum guide program, and promoted physical accessibility. He also developed an internship program preparing students for ethical and equitable careers in the arts. Among his duties as Chief Curator, he spearheaded new acquisitions, curated exhibitions, and chaired the committee charged with reinstalling Middlebury’s permanent collection galleries to be more global and inclusive.
“I am thrilled to join Shelburne Museum’s dynamic team at this time of growth,” Vrooman said. “I believe deeply in art’s ability to spark joy, deep personal reflection about our place in the world, and meaningful conversations between people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Shelburne’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion, and belonging are impressive; I look forward to supporting this work by striving to ensure that all visitors feel welcome when connecting with the museum’s incredible collections, exhibitions, grounds, and programs.”
Vrooman holds his Ph.D. from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, an M.A. from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art and a bachelor’s from Middlebury College.
Image caption: Shelburne Museum Stiller Family Foundation Director of Education Jason Vrooman.
High-res image available HERE.
About Shelburne Museum
Founded in 1947 by trailblazing folk art collector Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888–1960), Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, is the largest art and history museum in northern New England and Vermont’s foremost public resource for visual art and material culture. The Museum’s 45-acre campus is comprised of 39 buildings including the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education and Webb Gallery featuring important American paintings by Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, Grandma Moses, John Singleton Copley and many more.
For more information, please visit shelburnemuseum.org.
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