Brittany Merriam

Brittany is responsible for the development, design, and coordination of public exhibitions based on the holdings of the Penn Libraries. She designs and produces exhibition-related materials, supervises exhibit staff, helps coordinate traveling exhibitions, and oversees the borrowing of materials from other institutions and individuals. She collaborates closely with curators, librarians, and conservation staff to ensure the safe presentation and interpretation of artifacts.

Prior to coming to Penn, Brittany was Senior Curator of the Sigal Museum of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society in Easton, PA. In that role, she led the development of a permanent exhibition and community outreach initiative that earned an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). Brittany has completed design work for other institutions, including the Betsy Ross House, Moravian College, Sanofi Pasteur, the Brandywine River Museum, and more. Her current research interests include critical museology and community-building through exhibitions.

She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Museum Exhibition Planning and Design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Temple University. Her graduate study included the Richard C. von Hess Internship in Exhibition Design at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD.

Follow her on Twitter @pastperfunct