That’s certainly true of our museum, which continues to evolve. Change can be a negative. It’s stressful. It’s hard to get used to. But it can also be a tremendous positive, and the changes coming up at the Georgia Museum are exciting ones. The biggest change is my departure, which will have already happened by the time you read this. Although I truly hate to leave this place that has welcomed me with open arms, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to become the next director of the Honolulu Museum of Art and return to my hometown. Thankfully, I have no worries that the Georgia Museum will continue to thrive. I know that Tricia Miller, the Georgia Museum’s deputy director of collections and exhibitions, will make an incredibly capable interim director as the university embarks upon its search for my long-term replacement. And the museum staff has never been more united in their dedication to fulfilling our mission. As I leave, the museum is in the process of hiring a new deputy director of curatorial and academic affairs, who will also serve as the curator of American art. We don’t yet know who will fill that position, but we are confident that they will bring fresh and exciting perspectives. We’ve If there’s one way to characterize our current era, it’s that change is the only constant.
also spent significant time and effort working to create an interpretive plan to focus on better, deeper visitor experiences. Some of those projects have been years in the making, but the results should be worth the wait. Another long-term project coming this fall is the exhibition “Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone,” co-organized with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The community of scholars that curators Shawnya Harris (at the Georgia Museum) and Jeffrey Richmond-Moll (at Peabody Essex) assembled for this project is indeed impressive, and they have made significant contributions to our understanding of this groundbreaking artist. I first learned about Lewis’ incredible work and compelling life story during my tenure at the Harvard Art Museums, where undergraduate students created a virtual tour of works by Black artists. Lewis lived on the north side of Boston’s Beacon Hill, then a racially segregated neighborhood, and maintained studios on Tremont Street. Although Lewis never lived in Georgia, this exhibition and the presence of one of her sculptures in our collection (thanks to the generous fundraising of our Collectors group) are sure to inspire our visitors. As always, thank you for all you do for the Georgia Museum, and a hui hou kākou (until we meet again). David Odo Former Director
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