Tacoma Art Museum officials announced Friday that Laura F. Fry has been named the Haub Curator of Western American Art.

Fry has worked at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, the University of Denver’s Myhren Gallery, and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art in Denver. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Denver.

Fry will join the Tacoma Art Museum in April. She will be tasked with creating, articulating, and implementing a vision for the newly acquired Haub Collection of Western American Art. She will play a central role in the planning and preparation for the opening of the new Haub Galleries, and will shape a new collecting and educational focus for the museum and community. She will begin her new position preparing for the new Haub Galleries by exploring the collection, working with the architects and staff on the designs for the new galleries, crafting an inaugural catalogue of the collection, and creating an exhibition and public outreach education plan.

The Haub Collection of Western American Art features works that highlight the cultural history of the American West including the work of Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, E. Martin Hennings, Ernest Blumenschein, Georgia O’Keeffe, Kenneth Adams, Tom Lovell, John Clymer, Bill Schenck, and Clyde Aspevig. The works range in date from the 1820s to the present.

“I am thrilled to become part of the Tacoma community,” said Fry. “The chance to share the vision and passion of the Haub family and to bring the stories and history of Western American Art to the Puget Sound through this extraordinary collection is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“We are delighted to welcome Laura to the museum,” said Stephanie A. Stebich, Director of Tacoma Art Museum. “This is a critical position for our museum as we move forward with sharing the Haub Collection with the public. Laura’s confidence, knowledge, and charisma will help lead the charge as we transform Tacoma Art Museum into one of the leading museums in the country featuring Western American Art.”

More information is available online at TacomaArtMuseum.org.