Lorie Mertes Promoted To Assistant Director
For Special Projects/Curator At Miami Art Museum

MAM Also Promotes Several Additional Staff Members

MIAMI - July 26, 2004 - Lorie Mertes has been promoted to Assistant Director for Special Projects in addition to her ongoing role as Curator at the Miami Art Museum, South Florida's flagship museum featuring international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. In her new role, Mertes will oversee the development and implementation of special programs and projects that serve MAM members and the public.

"Lorie's promotion recognizes her many contributions to MAM," said Suzanne Delehanty, MAM director. "Lorie manages and continues to improve programs that reflect the museum's growth in this diverse cultural community. These programs concur with the museum’s plans to create a world-class facility and sculpture garden for MAM at Museum Park Miami, the City of Miami's official redesign vision for Bicentennial Park."

Mertes has been with MAM since 1994, and has served as the curator of 14 exhibitions and curator-in-charge for 20 major traveling exhibitions at MAM. She currently serves as the editor of Converge, MAM's publication series documenting New Work exhibitions and has participated in the implementation of several education and audience development initiatives including Visitors Gallery, JAM at MAM and the museum's website.

Mertes recently served as a juror for the Florida Show that opened at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. in 2004, and was one of only three curators in Florida to attend a national, invitation-only Contemporary Curators Conference this summer at Bates College in Maine.

Prior to joining MAM, Mertes worked for Jason Rubell in both his Palm Beach and Miami Beach galleries. She has been a member of the American Association of Museums since 1997, and is a board member of Locust Projects and Coconut Grove Cares. Mertes, a Florida native, graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s of fine arts degree in art history.

The museum also announced the following promotions:

• Jose Diaz to education associate
• Kerry Keeler to community programs coordinator
• Andrea Navarro to communications associate
• Hans Seitz to operations manager/exhibition designer

Accredited by the American Association of Art Museums, Miami Art Museum is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts; with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners.

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