Projects
See also Research & Writing. Selected projects include:
Museum & Library Exhibitions
Museum Metamorphosis
Delaware Museum of Natural History, Wilmington, Del.
Co-editor, writer, and researcher for exhibit script for complete museum renovation, including new dioramas and digital interactives; also consulted on content development (with Stacey Mann, 2021; museum re-opening in 2022 as the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science).
Spit Spreads Death: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918–19 in Philadelphia
The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Historical curator for long-term exhibition exploring how the 1918–19 influenza pandemic affected Philadelphia's people and neighborhoods; opened 2019, runs through 2024. Awards for exhibition, art project (memorial parade by Blast Theory), and public programs: 2020 Leadership in History Award of Excellence, American Association for State and Local History (AASLH); 2020 MUSE Gold Award for Video, Film, Animation, & Live Media or Digital Performance, American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Little Creatures, Big Data: Digitizing Natural History Collections
Delaware Museum of Natural History, Wilmington, Del. / InvertEBase
Developer and writer of six-panel exhibit on natural history collections and how collections digitization can help answer questions about the natural world; on display in 2019 at the DMNH and at InvertEBase partner museums (with Stephanie Gleit)
Carved in Stone: American Monuments, Myths, & Memory
The Union League Legacy Foundation (formerly The Heritage Center of The Union League of Philadelphia)
Co-developer of temporary exhibition on the history and future of public monuments, October 2018–June 2019 (with Keith Ragone Studio and Stacey Mann)
Audubon Exhibition
The Discovery Center, East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
Research, writing, and editing for permanent exhibition on birdlife and the history of Strawberry Mansion Reservoir, opened Fall 2018 (with 12 Squared Design)
imagiNATIONS Activity Center
The National Museum of the American Indian–New York, George Gustav Heye Center, Smithsonian Institution
Exhibit script co-editor and researcher for permanent children's activity center featuring Native innovations, opened Spring 2018 (with Stacey Mann)
Science at Play
Museum of the Science History Institute (formerly Chemical Heritage Foundation), Philadelphia
Curator for temporary exhibition on chemistry sets and science toys, October 2015–September 2016
Broken Bodies, Suffering Spirits: Injury, Death, and Healing in Civil War Philadelphia
The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Co-curator for long-term exhibition on Civil War medicine, opened Fall 2013 (with Erin McLeary)
Drawn to Dinosaurs
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Researcher and writer for temporary exhibition on dinosaur reconstruction, 2013; after traveling, reinstalled as long-term exhibition in 2015
Secrets of the Diorama
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Researcher, writer, and member of development team for long-term exhibition on habitat diorama creation, opened Spring 2012
Dual Nature: Science Illustrations of Dan Otte
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Researcher and writer for temporary exhibition on entomology illustrations, 2011
Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790–1830
American Philosophical Society (APS) Museum, Philadelphia
Research curator for year-long exhibition on natural history in post-revolutionary France, 2011
Languages and Cultures: Selections from the Native American Collections
of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society (APS) Library, Philadelphia
Co-curator for temporary exhibition on Native American artifacts and documents, 2010–11
Interactives, Online Exhibitions, & Multimedia
Diorama Kiosks
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Research and writing for interactive kiosks and graphic panels for two renovated habitat dioramas, installed 2018
Memento Mütter
The Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Writing and research (with museum staff) for interactive online exhibition of collection highlights, 2016
Baking Powder Wars
Science History Institute (formerly Chemical Heritage Foundation), Philadelphia
Narration and images for audio slideshow for “Thanks to Chemistry: Hidden in Plain Sight,” a multimedia project for the International Year of Chemistry, 2011
Native American Images Project
American Philosophical Society (APS) Library, Philadelphia
Content for online exhibition, 2010
Then & Now: Medicine
PaCivilWar150.com
Content for webpages for official Pennsylvania Civil War Sesquicentennial website, 2010
Consulting
Interpretive Planner and Content Developer
Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum, Chesapeake Beach, Md., 2018
Interpretive planner, content developer, and researcher for planned reinterpretation for local history museum (with Creative Content Studio)
Historical and Interpretive Consultant
Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, 2013–14
Consultant for “Specimen Stories: Experiments in Historical Interpretation,” interpretation project funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
Member of Strategic Planning Committee
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, 2011
Consultant for Art History and History of Photography
American Philosophical Society Library, Philadelphia, 2007–10
Consultant for Native American Images Project, cataloguing project for images in anthropological collections funded by The Getty Foundation
Educational Materials
Bicentennial Collection Cards
Texts for 12 monthly fast fact/activity cards for bicentennial year, each featuring a different natural history collection
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, 2012
Adult Education & Public Lectures
From Aqueducts to Skyscrapers: A Visual History of Building Big
Six-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2015
“Bears in the Backyard, Plants in the Attic: Collecting at the American Philosophical Society”
Public presentation for Nerd Nite Philly, July 2015, in conjunction with the APS Museum exhibition Jefferson, Science, and Exploration
Beyond the Water-Lily Pond: Reexamining French Impressionism
Four-session adult education course for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, April 2015
Beyond Ben: Science, Technology, and Medicine in Philadelphia, 1700–1900
Seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2014
Natural History from Antiquity to Now
Seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2013
“Out on a (Phantom) Limb: A Civil War Era Amputation Immersive Experience”
Public presentation for Science on Tap, sponsored by the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, October 2013
Co-presenter with Matthew Fisher of Night Kitchen Interactive; in conjunction with the Mütter Museum exhibition Broken Bodies, Suffering Spirits: Injury, Death, and Healing in Civil War Philadelphia
History of Photography: Art, Science, and Technology
Seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2012
“Flash! A Quick History of Photography in Motion”
Public presentation for Science on Tap, sponsored by the APS Museum, July 2012; in conjunction with the APS Museum exhibition TEMPUS FUGIT: Time Flies
Science, Art, and Culture during the Golden Age of French Natural History, 1790–1830
Free seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia
Course based on APS Museum exhibition Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790–1830
Co-instructor with historian of science Dr. Sylwester Ratowt, Fall 2011
Spotlight on Porcelain and Spotlight on Printmaking
Special public tours for APS Museum exhibition Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790–1830, Summer 2011
Editing & Translation
Project editor for A New American Sculpture, 1914–1945: Lachaise, Laurent, Nadelman, and Zorach (2017), edited by Andrew J. Eschelbacher
Catalogue for exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art, Maine, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth
Project editor for A Useable Past: American Folk Art at the Colby College Museum of Art (2016), edited by Lauren Lessing
Catalogue for exhibition at the Colby College Museum of Art, Maine
Project editor for The Collection: Highlights from the Portland Museum of Art, edited by Karen A. Sherry (2016)
The first-ever collection catalogue of the Portland Museum of Art, Maine
Editor for 2013 Portland Museum of Art Biennial: Piece Work
Booklet for exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art, Maine, Fall 2013
Project editor and translator for Of Elephants & Roses: French Natural History, 1790-1830, edited by Sue Ann Prince (2013)
Catalogue for exhibition at the APS Museum, Philadelphia, and proceedings of an associated international symposium, 2011. Designed by Marc Blaustein. Received 1st Prize in the 2014 AAM Museum Publications Design Competition (category: Exhibition Catalogues, less than $750,000)
Editor for "So Beautifully Illustrated": Katharine Richardson Wireman and the Art of Illustration, by Mary F. Holahan (2012)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Del.
Editor for Tales of Folk and Fairies: The Life and Work of Katharine Pyle, by Katherine L. Miner (2012)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Del.
Project editor for Nobody’s Property: Art, Land, Space, 2000–2010, by Kelly Baum et al. (2010)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, N.J.
Editing of database entries for online public catalogue of permanent collection (2011)
APS Museum, Philadelphia
Translation of “Tanner: The Pillar of Trépied,” by Jean-Claude Lesage
For Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit, edited by Anna O. Marley (2012)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
Editing of audioguide text for Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden (2010)
The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Article and book editing for individual scholars
Museum & Library Exhibitions
Museum Metamorphosis
Delaware Museum of Natural History, Wilmington, Del.
Co-editor, writer, and researcher for exhibit script for complete museum renovation, including new dioramas and digital interactives; also consulted on content development (with Stacey Mann, 2021; museum re-opening in 2022 as the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science).
Spit Spreads Death: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918–19 in Philadelphia
The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Historical curator for long-term exhibition exploring how the 1918–19 influenza pandemic affected Philadelphia's people and neighborhoods; opened 2019, runs through 2024. Awards for exhibition, art project (memorial parade by Blast Theory), and public programs: 2020 Leadership in History Award of Excellence, American Association for State and Local History (AASLH); 2020 MUSE Gold Award for Video, Film, Animation, & Live Media or Digital Performance, American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Little Creatures, Big Data: Digitizing Natural History Collections
Delaware Museum of Natural History, Wilmington, Del. / InvertEBase
Developer and writer of six-panel exhibit on natural history collections and how collections digitization can help answer questions about the natural world; on display in 2019 at the DMNH and at InvertEBase partner museums (with Stephanie Gleit)
Carved in Stone: American Monuments, Myths, & Memory
The Union League Legacy Foundation (formerly The Heritage Center of The Union League of Philadelphia)
Co-developer of temporary exhibition on the history and future of public monuments, October 2018–June 2019 (with Keith Ragone Studio and Stacey Mann)
Audubon Exhibition
The Discovery Center, East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
Research, writing, and editing for permanent exhibition on birdlife and the history of Strawberry Mansion Reservoir, opened Fall 2018 (with 12 Squared Design)
imagiNATIONS Activity Center
The National Museum of the American Indian–New York, George Gustav Heye Center, Smithsonian Institution
Exhibit script co-editor and researcher for permanent children's activity center featuring Native innovations, opened Spring 2018 (with Stacey Mann)
Science at Play
Museum of the Science History Institute (formerly Chemical Heritage Foundation), Philadelphia
Curator for temporary exhibition on chemistry sets and science toys, October 2015–September 2016
Broken Bodies, Suffering Spirits: Injury, Death, and Healing in Civil War Philadelphia
The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Co-curator for long-term exhibition on Civil War medicine, opened Fall 2013 (with Erin McLeary)
Drawn to Dinosaurs
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Researcher and writer for temporary exhibition on dinosaur reconstruction, 2013; after traveling, reinstalled as long-term exhibition in 2015
Secrets of the Diorama
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Researcher, writer, and member of development team for long-term exhibition on habitat diorama creation, opened Spring 2012
Dual Nature: Science Illustrations of Dan Otte
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Researcher and writer for temporary exhibition on entomology illustrations, 2011
Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790–1830
American Philosophical Society (APS) Museum, Philadelphia
Research curator for year-long exhibition on natural history in post-revolutionary France, 2011
Languages and Cultures: Selections from the Native American Collections
of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society (APS) Library, Philadelphia
Co-curator for temporary exhibition on Native American artifacts and documents, 2010–11
Interactives, Online Exhibitions, & Multimedia
Diorama Kiosks
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
Research and writing for interactive kiosks and graphic panels for two renovated habitat dioramas, installed 2018
Memento Mütter
The Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Writing and research (with museum staff) for interactive online exhibition of collection highlights, 2016
Baking Powder Wars
Science History Institute (formerly Chemical Heritage Foundation), Philadelphia
Narration and images for audio slideshow for “Thanks to Chemistry: Hidden in Plain Sight,” a multimedia project for the International Year of Chemistry, 2011
Native American Images Project
American Philosophical Society (APS) Library, Philadelphia
Content for online exhibition, 2010
Then & Now: Medicine
PaCivilWar150.com
Content for webpages for official Pennsylvania Civil War Sesquicentennial website, 2010
Consulting
Interpretive Planner and Content Developer
Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum, Chesapeake Beach, Md., 2018
Interpretive planner, content developer, and researcher for planned reinterpretation for local history museum (with Creative Content Studio)
Historical and Interpretive Consultant
Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, 2013–14
Consultant for “Specimen Stories: Experiments in Historical Interpretation,” interpretation project funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
Member of Strategic Planning Committee
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, 2011
Consultant for Art History and History of Photography
American Philosophical Society Library, Philadelphia, 2007–10
Consultant for Native American Images Project, cataloguing project for images in anthropological collections funded by The Getty Foundation
Educational Materials
Bicentennial Collection Cards
Texts for 12 monthly fast fact/activity cards for bicentennial year, each featuring a different natural history collection
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, 2012
Adult Education & Public Lectures
From Aqueducts to Skyscrapers: A Visual History of Building Big
Six-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2015
“Bears in the Backyard, Plants in the Attic: Collecting at the American Philosophical Society”
Public presentation for Nerd Nite Philly, July 2015, in conjunction with the APS Museum exhibition Jefferson, Science, and Exploration
Beyond the Water-Lily Pond: Reexamining French Impressionism
Four-session adult education course for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, April 2015
Beyond Ben: Science, Technology, and Medicine in Philadelphia, 1700–1900
Seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2014
Natural History from Antiquity to Now
Seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2013
“Out on a (Phantom) Limb: A Civil War Era Amputation Immersive Experience”
Public presentation for Science on Tap, sponsored by the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, October 2013
Co-presenter with Matthew Fisher of Night Kitchen Interactive; in conjunction with the Mütter Museum exhibition Broken Bodies, Suffering Spirits: Injury, Death, and Healing in Civil War Philadelphia
History of Photography: Art, Science, and Technology
Seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, Fall 2012
“Flash! A Quick History of Photography in Motion”
Public presentation for Science on Tap, sponsored by the APS Museum, July 2012; in conjunction with the APS Museum exhibition TEMPUS FUGIT: Time Flies
Science, Art, and Culture during the Golden Age of French Natural History, 1790–1830
Free seven-session adult education course for the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia
Course based on APS Museum exhibition Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790–1830
Co-instructor with historian of science Dr. Sylwester Ratowt, Fall 2011
Spotlight on Porcelain and Spotlight on Printmaking
Special public tours for APS Museum exhibition Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790–1830, Summer 2011
Editing & Translation
Project editor for A New American Sculpture, 1914–1945: Lachaise, Laurent, Nadelman, and Zorach (2017), edited by Andrew J. Eschelbacher
Catalogue for exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art, Maine, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth
Project editor for A Useable Past: American Folk Art at the Colby College Museum of Art (2016), edited by Lauren Lessing
Catalogue for exhibition at the Colby College Museum of Art, Maine
Project editor for The Collection: Highlights from the Portland Museum of Art, edited by Karen A. Sherry (2016)
The first-ever collection catalogue of the Portland Museum of Art, Maine
Editor for 2013 Portland Museum of Art Biennial: Piece Work
Booklet for exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art, Maine, Fall 2013
Project editor and translator for Of Elephants & Roses: French Natural History, 1790-1830, edited by Sue Ann Prince (2013)
Catalogue for exhibition at the APS Museum, Philadelphia, and proceedings of an associated international symposium, 2011. Designed by Marc Blaustein. Received 1st Prize in the 2014 AAM Museum Publications Design Competition (category: Exhibition Catalogues, less than $750,000)
Editor for "So Beautifully Illustrated": Katharine Richardson Wireman and the Art of Illustration, by Mary F. Holahan (2012)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Del.
Editor for Tales of Folk and Fairies: The Life and Work of Katharine Pyle, by Katherine L. Miner (2012)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Del.
Project editor for Nobody’s Property: Art, Land, Space, 2000–2010, by Kelly Baum et al. (2010)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, N.J.
Editing of database entries for online public catalogue of permanent collection (2011)
APS Museum, Philadelphia
Translation of “Tanner: The Pillar of Trépied,” by Jean-Claude Lesage
For Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit, edited by Anna O. Marley (2012)
Catalogue for exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
Editing of audioguide text for Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden (2010)
The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Article and book editing for individual scholars
Image: Detail of Castle Edward, Lake Hoptacong, N.J., undated color postcard. Author's collection.
