UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Amanda H. Hellman, director of the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art in Nashville, Tennessee, since 2022, has been named director of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State, effective Jan. 2, 2026.
Hellman was previously the curator of African art at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University from 2013 to 2022. Her exhibitions there include "And I Must Scream" (2022); "Between the Sweet Water and the Swarm of Bees" (2016); and "Southern Connections: Bearden in Atlanta" (2014). While an adjunct professor at Agnes Scott College, she curated "Strata: an installation by Shannon Collis" (2021) and "Press Here" (2021) at the Dalton Gallery. Recent exhibitions at Vanderbilt include "Holding Impact: An Installation by Amie Esslinger" (2023) and "New Art, New Directions" (co-curator, 2022).
According to Hellman, it is a pivotal time for arts and cultural organizations in the United States.
“This is an important moment for museums to demonstrate how they support and create community, foster creativity and critical thinking, and inspire wonder," Hellman said. "I am thrilled to join the Palmer Museum of Art and the College of Arts and Architecture where these values are central to the work they do.”
According to B. Stephen Carpenter II, Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, Hellman brings a commitment to community collaboration to her new position.
“We are thrilled to welcome Amanda Hellman as the new director of the Palmer Museum of Art,” said Carpenter. “Amanda brings a remarkable combination of curatorial experience, leadership acumen, and a deeply collaborative approach to this role. Her transformative work at Vanderbilt’s art museum reflects the vision, energy and strategic thinking she now brings to Palmer."
Hellman’s research on museum development in West and East Africa reveals how heritage formation and artistic practice are inextricably linked. Recent publications include "The Making of Museums in Nigeria: Kenneth C. Murray and Heritage Preservation in Colonial West Africa" (2023); "And I Must Scream: the monstrous expression of our global crises" (2022); and “Die and Do: Egungun as a form of resistance and recovery,” in Visible Man: Fahamu Pecou (2018).
“Amanda’s scholarly foundation, forward-thinking ideas, and passion for academic museums will invigorate our collective efforts and reinforce our mission to expand the Palmer's impact and influence as a dynamic cultural and educational resource,” added Carpenter. “We are also enthusiastic about the strengthened community connections she will foster, building on the exceptional work of the Palmer staff, whose efforts have been thoughtfully guided by Joyce Robinson during her tenure as interim director.”
Hellman has served as a senior lecturer in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Vanderbilt University, in addition to teaching at Emory University, Agnes Scott College and Oglethorpe University.
Recent grants include a Curatorial Advancement Grant from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation for "How Do You Meet the Moment? Positioning the Contemporary in University Historical Collections" (2025); Vanderbilt University Global Scholars-in-Residence grant for "Hervé Youmbi" (2025); and a Tennessee Arts Commission Access Grant for "Place/Placelessness" (2023).
Hellman holds a doctoral degree in art history and master of business administration degree from Emory University, a master of arts degree in the history of art from Williams College, and a bachelor of arts degree from Georgetown University.