Brittany Merriam

Brittany Merriam is an exhibit designer, storyteller, and museum/library professional who brings scholarship to life through thoughtful exhibition experiences. At the Penn Libraries, she leads the development, design, and coordination of public exhibitions rooted in the Libraries’ vast collections. She collaborates closely with curators, librarians, and conservation staff to shape interpretation, ensure the safe presentation of materials, and design companion graphics and print collateral. Her work spans everything from in-gallery storytelling to digital design, traveling exhibitions, and public programming.

Brittany has experience working with institutions of all sizes, and is committed to making exhibitions that are visually compelling, historically grounded, and publicly accessible. Prior to joining Penn, she served as Senior Curator at the Sigal Museum of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society, where she led the creation of a permanent exhibition and outreach initiative recognized with an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). She has also completed exhibition and design work for an array of institutions across Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley.

Her ongoing research interests include critical museology, Pennsylvania history, cultural memory, and the role of exhibitions in community-building. She holds an MFA in Museum Exhibition Planning and Design from the University of the Arts and a BA in Art History from Temple University. During graduate school, she was selected as the Richard C. von Hess Exhibition Design Intern at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.