Nationally recognized arts educator and curator Jessica Ambler, Ph.D., became director of Hollins University’s Eleanor D. Wilson Museum in January 2025.
Ambler’s vast art world experience includes working in museums and auction houses and teaching at several universities. Prior to her Hollins appointment, she was director of Muhlenberg College’s Martin Art Gallery and an active leader in the arts community, including a mayoral appointed member and officer of the Allentown Arts Commission and on the advisory council for the Lehigh Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance. She is currently a communications committee member for the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries.
A qualified appraiser and an accredited member of the Appraisers Association of America, Ambler was head of research for the Heller Group, an art advisory organization in New York City and Paris specializing in modern and contemporary art. She also served as curator and in artist relations for Loupe, Inc., an art streaming platform. She has her Ph.D. and M.A. in art history, criticism, and conservation from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and B.A. in in art history, criticism, and conservation from University of California, Santa Cruz.
“We are thrilled to have an arts leader such as Dr. Ambler as director of The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, which is vibrant cultural and educational resource for Hollins, the greater southwestern Virginia community, and the state,” says Mary Dana Hinton, President of Hollins University. “Her expertise in university museums and their integral role in the larger arts ecosystem are harbingers of an exciting new chapter. Her reputation as a champion for emerging, regional artists and experience working with internationally known artists embraces our mission to curate a diverse collection of artists from across the world.”
“The vision of The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum aligns perfectly with my purpose and passion as arts educator, curator, and museum director,” Ambler says. “I have dedicated my career to supporting artists who have historically and systematically been excluded from both the institutional and commercial art worlds. Art spaces, particularly those on campuses, are vital to fostering diversity because art is both subjective and universal. Bringing more diverse constituents to the cultural conversation allows all of us to learn from one another through an exchange of views and perspectives that we might not consider on our own—the purpose of an exceptional liberal arts education.”
Today, the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum’s extensive holdings include more than 1,500 art objects, a growing archive, selected exhibitions from the permanent collection, and exhibitions by Hollins’ artist-in-residence program and other artists. Ambler leads robust arts programming, from artist talks and tours to student internships and an undergraduate course on museum curatorial practices.
