Susan Warner adds “curator” to her deputy director title at the Tacoma Museum of Glass

Deputy director Susan Warner will also serve as curator of the Tacoma, Washington, museum.

Today, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, officially announced the appointment of deputy director Susan Warner as the institution’s curator. Director Timothy Close said in a prepared statement: “After reviewing a number of highly qualified external candidates for this position, it made sense to look within MOG’s own talent pool, and Susan Warner was an obvious selection.” He cited her “30 years of museum, curatorial and educational experience.” Warner has been on staff of the museum even before it opened in 2002, hired as director of education in February 2001. In 2006, Warner was appointed director of public programs and, in 2009, was named deputy director. 

In her new combined position, Warner will oversee the institution’s exhibition schedule as well as run the museum’s ambitious visiting artist residency program working closely with lead hot shop gaffer, Benjamin Cobb. She will also be working closely with museum director and CEO Close as the staff liaison to the museum’s collections committee, which is chaired by trustee George H. Weyerhaeuser, Jr.

Prior to joining Museum of Glass, Warner was director of education at the Seattle Children’s Museum. She also served as curator of education at the State Capital Museum in Olympia, and as assistant curator, curator of decorative arts at the Dayton Art Institute. Her early career included curatorial work in collection management and exhibition development. In the early 1990s, Warner made the transition to museum education. Born in Geita, Tanzania, Warner earned a BA in history from Southampton University in England and an MA in education from Antioch University in Seattle.