For Immediate Release : PMA Appoints Assistant Curator of American Art 

For Immediate Release 

PMA Appoints Assistant Curator of American Art 

PORTLAND, Maine — June 25, 2026 — The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth S. Humphrey as Assistant Curator of American Art. In this role, Humphrey will support the research, interpretation, exhibition development, and stewardship of the museum’s American art collections while contributing to the PMA’s mission of Art for All through innovative scholarship, community engagement, and inclusive curatorial practice. 

Humphrey specializes in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American art and material culture, the Black diaspora in North American art, and twentieth-century African American art. Her research combines object-centered study with interdisciplinary approaches to explore themes of identity, racial formation, and social history across time and media. Her scholarship and curatorial work spans painting, sculpture, photography, and the decorative arts. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to the PMA,” said Andrew Eschelbacher, Deputy Director and Head of Art and Exhibitions. “In addition to her deep knowledge of nineteenth-century American art and material culture and twentieth-century African American art, Elizabeth brings a thoughtful object-based, community-centered approach to curatorial practice. As we embark on the next phase of the Blueprint project and continue to advance our Art for All mission, she will be a vital member of the curatorial team.” 

Humphrey currently serves as an independent curator for the Museum of the City of New York, where she is co-curating an exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of abolition in New York. She previously guest curated an exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum that expanded her traveling exhibition, There Is a Woman in Every Color: Black Women in Art, which she organized as Curatorial Assistant and Manager of Student Programs at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. In addition to developing that exhibition, at Bowdoin she conducted collection research, supported acquisitions, developed exhibitions and educational programs, and managed student-curated exhibitions and internships. Additional museum experience includes positions with the Barnes Foundation, the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum, and Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, where she developed expertise in collections research, interpretation, and object-based scholarship. She has also completed advanced training in museum studies, public engagement, photograph conservation, and ethical interpretation through programs at Winterthur and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

Humphrey joins the PMA while completing her Ph.D. in Art History at the University of Delaware. Her dissertation, Degrees of Blackness: Racial Perception in North American Art, 1830–1864, examines the visual construction of race in nineteenth-century North American art. She holds an M.A. from the University of Delaware’s Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and a B.A. in Art History and Visual Arts from Bowdoin College. 

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About the Portland Museum of Art 
The Portland Museum of Art, located blocks from the working waterfront in Maine’s largest city, seeks to tell multifaceted stories through art. Showcasing significant holdings of American, European, and contemporary art, as well as iconic works from Maine—the extensive collection highlights the rich artistic tradition of the state and its artists. Committed to its “Art for All” mission, the PMA seeks to create an inclusive space that champions open expression and makes art accessible to all. The museum offers free admission on Friday nights and Third Thursdays, as well as for all visitors under 21. Discover member events, family activities, school tours, curator talks, and guided visits to the Winslow Homer Studio. It’s all happening at the PMA. Learn more at www.portlandmuseum.org. 

In 2022, sparked by the current growth of the collection, record attendance and community feedback, the museum launched Blueprint, a $100M campus expansion and unification project that will more than double the size of the PMA’s campus as well as the museum’s economic impact throughout the region. Designed by LEVER Architecture, a new wing will be an exciting emblem for climate-safe construction in Maine.