Chrysler Museum of Art Announces New Director of Education and Director of Development

Allison M. Taylor, Director of Education and Heather Sherwin, Director of Development

NORFOLK, Va. (Aug. 13, 2019) — This summer, the Chrysler Museum of Art welcomed Allison M. Taylor as Director of Education and Heather Sherwin as Director of Development. Both were selected after an extensive nationwide search. Together, they bring several decades of museum experience to the Chrysler. “Both Allison Taylor and Heather Sherwin have displayed a longstanding commitment to museums and the community. Their passion for art and breadth of experience are tremendous assets to the Chrysler and will help further the Museum’s mission of bringing art and people together,” said Museum Director Erik Neil.

As Director of Education, Taylor establishes in-house programs and partnerships to cement the Chrysler as a center of lifelong learning. She also manages the Chrysler’s education and library staff, as well as the Museum’s docents. Sherwin leads the Chrysler’s fundraising and development efforts, including membership, endowment, annual fund and major giving initiatives. She also oversees capital campaigns, member travel, planned giving and database administration.

ABOUT ALLISON M. TAYLOR

Allison M. Taylor’s museum experience spans more than a decade. Before joining the Chrysler, she served as the Head of Education and Community Engagement at Washington University’s Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum in St. Louis. In that role, she aimed to integrate the Museum into the curricula of Washington University’s seven schools. She also launched several new programs during her tenure, including a six-week internship that allowed participants to work in all departments at the Museum; KARE (Kemper Art Reaches Everyone) for visitors with dementia; STEAM for teachers and The Art of Observation, a collaborative program between the Museum and Washington University’s medical students. Taylor’s experience also includes developing a curriculum and materials to help undergraduate students explore museum education theories and tour group engagement strategies. Her work on teacher engagement was published last year by the National Art Education Association. In recent years, she has also presented her research about aging and the arts, designing inclusive art museum programs and engaging school-age visitors at conferences hosted by the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging, the Volunteer Committees of Art Museums and the Association of Midwest Museums.

Taylor’s experience also includes several years at The Mint Museum in Charlotte where she was an education assistant, tour coordinator and adult programs coordinator. She also worked in Rock Hill, SC as a consulting educator for the Museum of York County and an adjunct professor at Winthrop University.  “I’ve been in art museum education for nearly 15 years and serving as Director of Education at the Chrysler Museum is the pinnacle of my career. The Chrysler is one of the most respected museums in the world and I’m excited about working with such a renowned collection and such a dynamic and engaged group of professionals,” Taylor said.

She holds a master’s degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Museum Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Winthrop University.

ABOUT HEATHER SHERWIN

 A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Heather Sherwin’s fundraising career spans nearly three decades and includes experience in arts and educational institutions as well as foundation grantmaking. Before relocating to Norfolk, Sherwin served as Central Carolina Community Foundation’s Vice President of Advancement since 2012. During her tenure, she launched the region’s first giving day — Midlands Gives. She also helped hundreds of donors establish donor-advised funds and create legacy gifts.

In her hometown, Sherwin helped complete a $350 million capital campaign as the Director of Principal Gifts at Cleveland Museum of Art. As Director of Development for Great Lakes Theater Festival, she raised $19.3 million to complete the renovation of the historic Hanna Theatre at Playhouse Square.  She also held positions with the American Red Cross and Hawken School in Ohio and The Masters School in New York. “I am thrilled to be a part of the Chrysler team, as art museums and their role in a community are really where my heart is,” said Sherwin.

Additionally, Sherwin was active in the Cleveland community. She was president of the Cleveland Arts Prize, a founding partner of Cleveland Social Venture Partners and Vice President of The Sherwick Fund of the Cleveland Foundation.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Boston University.

ABOUT THE CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART

 The Chrysler Museum of Art is one of America’s most distinguished mid-sized art museums, with a nationally-recognized collection of more than 30,000 objects, including one of the great glass collections in America. The core of the Chrysler’s collection comes from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., an avid art collector who donated thousands of objects from his private collection to the Museum. In the years since Chrysler’s death in 1988, the Museum has dramatically enhanced its collection and extended its ties with the Norfolk community. The Museum, expanded in 2014 to add additional gallery spaces and amenities for visitors, now has growing collections in many areas. The Chrysler also mounts an ambitious schedule of exhibitions and educational programs and events each season.

In 2011, the Chrysler opened the Perry Glass Studio adjacent to the Museum. This state-of-the-art, working facility offers programming for aspiring and master artists alike in a variety of processes including glassblowing, fusing, flameworking, coldworking, and neon. The Studio also has earned a reputation for its cutting-edge performance evenings that mix live glassmaking with visual, musical, culinary, and performing arts. The Perry Glass Studio recently was the site of the prestigious 2017 Glass Art Society Conference. In addition, the Chrysler Museum of Art administers two historic houses in downtown Norfolk: the Moses Myers House and the Willoughby-Baylor House.

The Chrysler Museum of Art, One Memorial Place, Norfolk, and its Perry Glass Studio at 745 Duke St., are open to the public Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Historic Houses on East Freemason Street are open weekends. General admission is free at all venues. For more information on the Chrysler Museum of Art, visit chrysler.org.

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