The Preservation Society of Newport County today announced the appointment of Lise Dubé-Scherr as Director of Museum Affairs.
Ms. Dubé-Scherr has a long and distinguished career in both art museums and historic house museums. A native of Canada, she held progressively more responsible positions at the National Gallery of Canada, the Allentown (PA) Art Museum, and The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Estate and Gardens in Lenox, MA where she was Deputy Director and Vice President responsible for all daily operations.
Since 2011, Ms. Dubé-Scherr has been the Executive Director of The Richard H. Driehaus Museum in Chicago, a decorative arts museum housed in a fully restored Gilded Age mansion which has grown from 4,000 annual visitors to 78,000 during her tenure. At the Driehaus Museum, she implemented a unique visitor-centered model, developed distinctive exhibitions with companion publications and expanded public programs to include lectures series, symposia, concerts, social programs and living history tours.
“My background is in museum education,” said Dubé-Scherr, “so my whole career has really been anchored in how museums connect people with art objects – or with historic houses – and how to create relevant experiences that resonate. Historic houses and their collections help people understand a period of time and how people were living, both owners and staff. Connecting the past with the present in meaningful, authentic ways is becoming increasingly important in our 21st century world. It is an honor and a privilege to join the Preservation Society to help advance and deepen the impact of the Newport Mansions, with its unparalleled collection of historic house museums and one million annual admissions.”
“Lise’s experiences fit perfectly with the direction the Preservation Society is going,” said CEO and Executive Director Trudy Coxe. “Under her leadership and with our new exhibition space in Rosecliff and our new Fellows program, we have the capacity now to become a renowned center of scholarship and programming.”
The Director of Museum Affairs oversees curatorial, conservation, collections management, exhibitions and academic programs such as lectures and the Newport Symposium. Ms. Dubé-Scherr will assume her new position on July 17.
