Key appointments made in Development, Public Engagement
Allentown, PA—The Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley has strengthened its senior leadership team with several recent hires intended to deepen its connections to the community and broaden its appeal to new audiences.
“We are excited about the talents and skills these new staff members bring to the Museum,” said David Mickenberg, Priscilla Payne Hurd President and CEO. “Their leadership is key as we enter the next phase in the development of the Museum’s soon-to-be-released strategic plan, new logo, and new educational and community engagement opportunities designed to ensure impact and excellence. Our senior management team will work in tandem with our Board of Trustees and various organizational committees to move the Museum boldly into the future.”
Angela Zanelli has been named Vice President of Development and Communications, responsible for evaluating, managing, and implementing the development, fundraising, and communications strategies for the Museum. Zanelli, a Bethlehem resident, was chosen from a field of more than one hundred candidates who applied for the position during a national search conducted by Museum Trustees in conjunction with Taggart Associates. She is former Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations with the National Hemophilia Foundation, New York, and Development Manager at the New-York Historical Society. Zanelli is also a certified yoga instructor and a community volunteer with local organizations such as Starcross Youth Performing Arts and the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Artist and educator Dianne Smith joins the Museum’s senior leadership team as the Museum’s first Public Engagement Manager, overseeing education and community outreach programs. As an artist in residence in Allentown in the spring of 2016 she led a program at Central Elementary School that engaged fourth- and fifth-graders to consider their community, cultural history, art, and photography. That summer she presented an exhibition at the Museum, Intersections, comprised of photographs and videotaped oral histories documenting the lives and identities of Allentown residents and how they came to the city. Smith has taught at the City College of New York; the Lincoln Center Institute, New York; the Center for Art Education, New York; and STRIVE New York. Smith earned an MFA in creative practice from Transart Institute, Berlin, Germany, and attended Otis College of Art & Design, Los Angeles.
The appointment of Zanelli and Smith completes the Museum’s senior management team and is accompanied by several soon-to-be-announced new appointments to the Board of Trustees. Together, these appointments are designed to define a new generation of senior leadership that will strengthen the Museum’s relationship to its multiple audiences, further develop community engagement, expand collections and programming, and ensure the Museum’s impact upon Allentown and the Lehigh Valley.
Also hired recently in the Museum’s Development department is Jonathan Hartman, Manager of Donor and Member Relations. Hartman previously held the same position at the Reading Public Museum. His responsibilities include ensuring the growth and success of the Museum’s membership program, and creatively developing communication and programmatic strategies to grow membership. Hartman has a master’s of arts degree in museum communication from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Lock Haven University.
About the Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley The Allentown Art Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that participates in the cultural, educational, and economic life of the Lehigh Valley. Defined by a unique combination of tradition and innovation, our collections, educational partnerships, collaborative and community based programs, and exhibitions are dedicated to inspiring the broadest possible public engagement, access, and service. For more information please visit AllentownArtMuseum.org.
Information & Images Provided By:
Chris Potash
Manager of Marketing and Public Relations
Allentown Art Museum
31 N. Fifth Street
Allentown, PA 18101
