- Home
- News & Media Resources
- Media Contacts and Releases
- 2021 Releases
- July
- JCCC’s Nerman Museum Announces New Executive Director and Chief Curator
July 7, 2021
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Johnson County Community College (JCCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of JoAnne Northrup as the new Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Northrup succeeds Bruce Hartman, who retired from this position on December 31, 2020, following a 30-year career at JCCC that included the establishment of the Museum in 2007.
"I am elated with JoAnne Northrup's appointment to the Nerman," stated Hartman. "Her extraordinary curatorial experience, keen eye, intellectual fervor and generosity of spirit will be invaluable to the Museum, College and community. She is a fantastic addition to our region's distinguished group of museum directors and professionals."
Known for her innovative and prescient exhibitions that connect the avant-garde to the audience, Northrup boasts an impressive career of more than 30 years. An established museum leader who has worked in nine museums in the US and Europe, Northup also brings higher education experience to this role. She served as the Curator of Exhibits and Collections at the de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University, California, in the late 1990s.
“JoAnne highlighted her experience in engaging diverse contemporary artists and in cultivating communities,” shared Dr. Andy Bowne, JCCC President. “That experience is important to us at JCCC. Inclusivity is an important aspect of our values for our College and a cornerstone of the Nerman collection.”
Northrup comes to the Nerman from the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, where she founded a contemporary art program in 2012. As Curatorial Director and Curator of Contemporary Art, she mounted cutting edge exhibitions including the nationally touring “Unsettled” (2017-19), organized in collaboration with iconic Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha.
Illustrating past connections to the Kansas City art scene, Northrup curated and authored the first nationally touring survey exhibitions and monographs on contemporary media artists Jennifer Steinkamp (2006) and Leo Villareal (2010). The Villareal exhibition traveled to the Nerman in 2011, and the Steinkamp exhibition was at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in 2007.
Northrup is thrilled to be returning to Kansas City, this time to stay. “I have admired the Nerman’s program for many years, especially the emphasis on diversity that is part of this institution’s DNA,” she said. “Not only does the Nerman have a record of presenting the work of contemporary artists in advance of their achieving renown in the art world, my esteemed predecessor [Bruce Hartman] has always exhibited and collected work by BIPOC and women artists. The Nerman’s values and my own perfectly align, and I am so excited to sustain and further develop this world-class museum’s record of excellence. I could not be prouder.”
Northrup joins JCCC on Aug. 2, 2021. Learn more on the Nerman Museum website.
###
Chris Gray
Associate Vice President
Strategic Communications, Marketing
913-469-7623
chrisgray@jccc.edu
Callie Woods
Coordinator, Social Media and Content
913-469-8500, ext. 3749
cwoods19@jccc.edu
Tyler Cundith
Sports Information Director
913-469-8500, ext. 3122
tcundith@jccc.edu
College Switchboard
913-469-8500
-
Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Johnson, Regional Director America’s SBDC Kansas, Johnson County Community College 913-469-3878jjohn512@jccc.edu OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – With ongoing funding...
-
Press ReleaseJCCC Announces Spring 2022 Honor Rolls
June 16, 2022OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College is proud to release its honor roll recipients for the Spring 2022 semester: President’s Honor Roll (PDF): Students have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours and have... -
Press ReleaseMore than 2,600 Graduate from JCCC Friday, May 20
May 18, 2022OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College (JCCC) continues to transform lives and strengthen communities. 2,684 students are graduating from JCCC on Friday, May 20, an increase of 5.3% over the number of graduates... -
Press ReleaseOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (May 13, 2022) – Joy A. Ginsburg is named the new Executive Director for the Johnson County Community College Foundation beginning July 1, 2022. Ginsburg was unanimously approved by the JCCC Foundation...
-
Press ReleaseOVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College (JCCC) awarded 22 local students with prestigious First Year President’s Scholarships, which provide a tuition-free opportunity to attend JCCC in the fall semester. To be...