Maryhill Museum of Art announced the appointment of Melissa Stabile to collections manager. In this post, which she will assume on February 1, 2010, Ms. Stabile will oversee the storage, care and conservation of Maryhill’s diverse collections.
“Melissa’s range of experience, coupled with her specialized knowledge of ethnographic collections, makes her a great fit for Maryhill,” says Colleen Schafroth, the museum’s executive director. “We are thrilled to have her.”
Ms. Stabile’s background includes collections management, as well as curatorial and educational roles at a number of museums. Most recently, she worked with the Frisco Historic Park and Museum in Frisco, Colorado. Prior to that, she worked at two prominent Pennsylvania-based institutions: the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. Ms. Stabile holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from the University of Colorado, with a concentration in museum studies and Native American history.
“I’m very excited to work at Maryhill. It is a fascinating museum with an amazing collection. There is an awareness of the past and also a strong vision for the future,” says Stabile. “I am looking forward to working with the staff and being part of the team.”
Ms. Stabile adds that the prospect of living in the Gorge made the position even more appealing.
“My husband and I, and our two children, love the outdoors. We enjoy hiking, camping, biking, kayaking and back-country skiing. We can’t wait to explore the area,” she says.
Ms. Stabile replaces Betty Long-Schleif, who retired in January 2010 after 22 years as Maryhill’s collections manager.
ABOUT MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART:
Opened to the public May 13, 1940, Maryhill Museum of Art celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2010. Housed in a glorious Beaux Arts mansion on 5,300 acres high above the Columbia River, the museum is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most enchanting cultural destinations. It was founded by Northwest entrepreneur= and visionary Sam Hill, who purchased the property and began building the house with dreams of establishing a Quaker farming community. When that vision proved untenable, Hill was encouraged by friends Loïe Fuller, Queen Marie of Romania, and Alma de Bretteville Spreckles to establish a museum.
Today Maryhill boasts a world-class permanent collection, rotating exhibitions of the highest caliber, and dynamic educational programs that provide opportunities for further exploration by visitors of all ages. On view are more than 80 works by Auguste Rodin, European and American paintings, objects d’art from the palaces of the Queen of Romania, Orthodox icons, unique chess sets, and the renowned Théâtre de la Mode, featuring small-scale mannequins attired in designer fashions of post-World War II France. Baskets of the indigenous people of North America were a collecting interest of Hill; today the museum’s Native American collection represents nearly every tradition and style in North America, with works of art from prehistoric through contemporary.
Maryhill’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden features work by Tom Herrera, Mel Katz, Heath Krieger, Alisa Looney, Jill Torberson, Julian Voss-Andreae, Jeff Weitzel and Leon White. The Maryhill Overlook is a site-specific sculpture by noted Portland architect Brad Cloepfil; nearby are Lewis and Clark interpretive panels. Four miles east of Maryhill is a life-sized replica of Stonehenge, Stonehenge Memorial, which Sam Hill built to memorialize local men who perished in World War I. Nearby, the Klickitat County War Memorial honors those who have died in the service of their country since World War I.
The museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 2001 the museum was listed as an official site of the National Historic Lewis and Clark Trail and in 2002 was accredited by the American Association of Museums.
VISITOR INFORMATION:
Maryhill Museum of Art is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 15 to November 15. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $2 for children age 6-16. Admission to the Stonehenge Memorial is free; it is open from 7:00 a.m. to dusk daily.
Sandwiches, salads, espresso drinks, cold beverages, and freshly baked desserts and pastries are available. The Museum Store features art and history books, jewelry, Native American crafts and other mementos.
Maryhill is located off Highway 97, 12 miles south of Goldendale, Washingt= on. Drive times to the museum are 2 hours from Portland/Vancouver, 3.5 hours from Bend, 4 hours from Seattle, and 1.5 hours from Yakima. For further information, visit www.maryhillmuseum.org
