Milwaukee native Susan Longhenry has been appointed director of the Haggerty Museum of Art, a museum housed on Marquette University’s campus.
Longhenry is currently director of the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, N.M. That museum belongs to the University of New Mexico.
She will take over leadership of the Haggerty Museum on Aug. 3, succeeding interim director Lee Coppernoll, who will return to her role as associate director.
A university search committee identified Longhenry as the right leader to guide the museum through its next steps.
“Susan is an experienced museum director and educator,” Gary Meyer, Ph.D., vice provost for undergraduate programs and teaching at Marquette, said in a statement. “She has published in the areas of museum education as well as in modern and contemporary art, and brings the combination of passion for art and the administrative and academic experience we sought. “Marquette is excited to bring to the Haggerty her leadership in museum education and community engagement, as well as experience as director of an academic museum.”
Longhenry has been at the helm of the Harwood Museum of Art since 2009. Her previous museum experience includes having directed museum learning and public programs at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and having served as director of education at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Additionally, she was curator of education at the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia in Athens and served as a program specialist in education at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she launched her career.
Along with having curated exhibits of modern and contemporary artists, Longhenry has developed several catalogues and publications as well as presented at national and regional museum conferences.
“I look forward to returning to Milwaukee and working closely with community cultural and civic organizations, schools and colleges, the business community, and city and state officials to ensure that the Haggerty Museum of Art becomes a more visible resource for the region,” Longhenry said of her new position.
Longhenry completed a master’s degree in modern art history, theory and criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and earned a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Indiana University.
The Haggerty Museum of Art, which is open to the public, is located at 530 N. 13th Street.
