Martin Museum of Art Names New Director

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Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (Aug. 3, 2015) – Allison Chew Syltie has been named the new director of Baylor University’s Martin Museum of Art, effective Aug. 3. Syltie will succeed Karin Gilliam, who has served as the director of the Martin Museum of Art for the past 10 years. Gilliam will serve as the museum’s Director Emeritus and will work on special outreach projects in a part-time capacity.
“I am very excited to become a part of the Baylor family as the director of the Martin Museum of Art,” Syltie said. “The programming and events that the museum offer are wonderful opportunities for cultural enrichment for Baylor students, staff and the Waco community. I look forward to serving the museum and continuing the high quality of work being accomplished.”
Syltie received an M.F.A. in studio art from the University of Texas at Tyler and received certification in education and outreach from the Texas Association of Museums. At the University of Texas at Tyler, she served as assistant to the gallery director in the Meadows Gallery and also was an instructor for drawing and painting classes. She serves as the Chairman of the Museum Planning Committee for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) in Texas and oversees the development and organization of the IOOF’s historic collections.
Since 2008, she has worked at the Pearce Museum at Navarro College as the curator for the museum’s art collection and later as the director of the museum, where she oversaw day-to-day operations, and contributed to the success of the museum.
by Spencer Cutright, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
ABOUT MARTIN MUSEUM OF ART

The museum’s mission is one of education and service by bringing outstanding art exhibitions, speakers and guest artists to Baylor University and Central Texas. The museum serves as a valuable teaching tool for students and faculty. Exhibitions complement the courses of art history and studio art taught within Baylor’s department of art. The permanent collection consists of approximately 1,300 objects representing a variety of art that has been donated to or purchased by Baylor. The collection contains art by such well-known artists as Robert Rauschenberg, Kathe Kollwitz, Francisco de Goya, and Edouard-Leon Cortes. Included in the collection are approximately 300 paintings by famous watercolor artists, among them George Post, Phil Dike, Edgar Whitney and John Marin.