Lynn Dolby & Emily Zimmerman selected to participate in the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) inaugural Curatorial Digital Leadership Initiative

July 27, 2022

The Arthur Ross Gallery & Penn Art Collection are delighted to announce that Lynn Dolby, University Art Collection Manager & Assistant Curator and Emily Zimmerman, Assistant Director at the Arthur Ross Gallery have been selected as one of 16 curatorial teams across the United States to be part of the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) Curatorial Digital Leadership Initiative with Culture 24. The Curatorial Digital Leadership Initiative seeks to raise digital confidence in curators to become digital leaders in their institutions and arts communities. Over the course of the ten-month training period, teams of two curators from each institution will attend a series of workshops with Culture 24, offering peer to peer support, and an in-person convening in Philadelphia in October 2022. As part of the program, Lynn Dolby & Emily Zimmerman will develop a digital program in conjunction with the Arthur Ross Gallery’s 40^th Anniversary Season. AAMC’s Curatorial Digital Leadership Initiative is generously supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and brings together nonprofit art organizations located in the cities directly supported by the foundation: Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Jose, California; and St. Paul, Minnesota. The AAMC Curatorial Digital Leadership Initiative was awarded through a competitive application process, in which Emily Zimmerman served as the lead writer.  More information on the initiative is available here. Lynn Dolby joined the Office of the Curator in August 2017 following her time as the Senior Director of Client Services at Atelier Art Services where she specialized and trained staff in complex art logistics. She managed many high-profile projects, most notably, the relocation of the Barnes Foundation Collection from Merion, PA to its new home on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in downtown Philadelphia. Previously, Lynn served as the Registrar and a member of the Exhibitions Committee for the National Constitution Center, where she developed several exhibitions including, “Lincoln: The Constitution & The Civil War” and “9/11: A Nation Remembers.” Lynn earned an M.A. in the History of Art from Tyler School of Art, Temple University and a B.A in the History of Art from Chestnut Hill College. She has additional studies in Exhibition Development and Visitor Evaluation and is a member of the Association for Registrars and Collections Specialists (ARCS). Emily Zimmerman is a curator and writer based in Philadelphia, where she is currently the Assistant Director of the Arthur Ross Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania. From 2017-2022 she was the Director + Curator of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery at the University of Washington’s School of Art + Art History + Design, and prior to that she was the Associate Curator at the University of Washington’s Henry Art Gallery. She began her curatorial career as the Assistant Curator at the Experimental Media and Performing Art Center (EMPAC). Emily’s writing has appeared in BOMB and Contemporary Performance, and she has served on review panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Capital, New York State Council on the Arts, Artist Trust, 4Culture, and the Herb Alpert Awards, among others. Emily earned her MA from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and her BA from New York University. About the University of Pennsylvania Art Collection The University of Pennsylvania Art Collection includes over 8,000 artworks acquired during the past 250 years. The collection is displayed in buildings and outdoor spaces throughout the main campus, the Morris Arboretum, and the New Bolton Center. Diverse in scope, the collection includes painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, and decorative arts. Penn’s Art Collection is intended for the enrichment of all, and its public installation enhances the daily experience of students, faculty, staff, and community members. About the Arthur Ross Gallery The Arthur Ross Gallery of the University of Pennsylvania is a resource for the entire University community, across schools and departments, as well as the local community and scholars around the world. We are a learning lab where people engage with important, and often rarely seen, art and artifacts from a diverse range of time periods, media, and cultures. The Gallery was founded in 1983 with a gift from Arthur Ross to share his joy of art by bringing important works to campus to inspire new generations. The Arthur Ross Gallery is located in the landmark Fisher Fine Arts Library building designed by Frank Furness, in the center of Penn’s campus. About AAMC & AAMC Foundation  Founded in 2001, the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) & AAMC Foundation celebrate the curatorial narrative by supporting and promoting the work of art curators at all stages in their career through opportunities for networking, collaboration, professional development, and career advancement.  With a network of over 1,500 members from over 500+ institutions around the globe, the organization is the leading organization and flagship voice for curators in the nonprofit sector. The organization ensures that the curatorial perspective on art, museums, and educational issues is furthered and advanced in critical issues within the art community.