New Art Gallery Director Lia Newman Will Bring Extensive Professional Credentials to Davidson

Davidson College has announced the appointment of Lia Newman as Director of the William H. Van Every/Edward M. Smith Galleries. She comes to Davidson from Artspace, Inc., in Raleigh, where she served as Director of Programs and Exhibitions since 2002. Newman will join the Davidson art department in its Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Arts Center home beginning January 2.

Newman graduated from Winthrop University with a Bachelor's degree in Art History and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in General Studio, with Concentrations in Sculpture and Photography. She then earned a Master's degree in Liberal Studies from Duke University.

Professor Shaw Smith, Interim Chair of the Art Department, said, "Newman brings a great deal of energy and significant experience in the contemporary art world to our program."

He continued, "Her education gives her great insight into the fundamental role of the art gallery in a small liberal arts setting, while her sustained experience at Artspace demonstrates her loyalty to the profession and interest in a wide range of gallery and art practices."

As part of her duties, Newman will manage the college's permanent art collection, which consists of 3,200 works spanning five centuries and serves as a research resource for students and members of the community. She will also help direct expansion of the Campus Sculpture Program.

The Van Every/Smith Galleries play a fundamental role in the pedagogical life of Davidson College. The galleries provide a challenging forum for the presentation, interpretation, and discussion of primarily contemporary artworks in all media for students, members of the community, and national and international visitors. An on-going series of challenging exhibitions and lectures by visiting artists and scholars nurture individual thinking, develop visual literacy, and inspire a lifelong commitment to the arts.