Director named for the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative

Tey Marianna Nunn brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her new role.

Kevin Gover, the Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Museums and Culture, announced today that Tey Marianna Nunn will become director of the American Women’s History Initiative, effective August 16. “As an award-winning author, museum curator, consultant, and community activist, Dr. Nunn brings not only her rich experience to AWHI, but also a passion for sharing the stories of underserved and overlooked communities,” Gover said.

Dr. Nunn has been Director and Chief Curator of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum and Visual Arts program in Albuquerque, New Mexico, since 2006. In this role, she oversees and supervises strategic planning, policies and best practices, and the implementation of compelling exhibitions and public programs in physical and virtual settings. Her special focus is the inclusion and representation of women artists, creatives, and cultural histories. Prior to joining NHCC, Dr. Nunn was a curator with the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Dr. Nunn has published dozens of scholarly articles and books and overseen or curated more than 70 exhibitions. Among many other honors she has received over the course of her career, she is a member of the National Museum and Library Services Board, having been appointed by President Barack Obama in 2016.

Inspired by generations of strong women in her own family, Dr. Nunn has made a career of highlighting the contributions of Latinas and the larger Latinx community by recovering ignored histories and inserting them into American cultural history. “As Director of AWHI, I plan to support projects that remedy the traditional narrative of women’s history. Women make history in different ways, and equity in telling these stories is crucial to AWHI’s vision,” said Dr. Nunn. “Everyone has a herstory to tell and AWHI has the responsibility to recover, insert, and engage those stories so that they can be shared and historical records made accurate.”

Authorized by Congress in 2017, The Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative amplifies women’s voices to honor the past, inform the present and inspire the future. Dr. Nunn assumes responsibility for AWHI from its co-chairs: myself, in my role as Under Secretary for Museums and Culture, and Stephanie Stebich, Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. As director of AWHI, Dr. Nunn will develop a strategic plan to transform how the Smithsonian at large engages with women’s history and center our audiences to create a more equitable and just American society.

Dr. Nunn holds a doctorate in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico, with a focus on contemporary Latina/o and Latin American history. She has a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico and a B.A. in cultural anthropology from the University of Nevada-Reno.

“My thanks also go to our distinguished search committee, supported by Jennifer Schneider and Erin Dowdy of AWHI,” Gover continued, “who helped us identify such an exceptionally qualified candidate:”

• Stephanie Stebich, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director of SAAM
• Karri Brady, Senior Associate Director of Principal Gifts in the central Office of Advancement
• Stacy Cavanagh, Lead Senior Program Officer for Strategy and Organization in the OUSMC
• Ariana Curtis, Director of Content, Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past
• Effie Kapsalis, Senior Digital Program Officer in the OUSM
• Carrie Kotcho, Acting Associate Director of the Office of Audience Engagement at the National Museum of American History
• Dorothy Moss, Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery, and Coordinating Curator, AWHI
• Jessica Sadeq, Marketing Manager in the Office of Communications and External Affairs
• Jennifer Schneider, Program Manager, AWHI

The American Women’s History Initiative curators provided additional review:

• Ashleigh Coren, Curator of Women’s History Content and Interpretation at the National Portrait Gallery and Acting Head of Education, AWHI
• Liz Harmon, Digital Curator of the History of Smithsonian Women Scientists at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
• Meredith Holmgren, Curator of American Women’s Music at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
• Healoha Johnston, Curator of Asian Pacific American Women’s Cultural History at the Asian Pacific American Center
• Emily Margolis, Curator of the History of American Women in Aviation, Spaceflight, Astronomy, and Planetary Science at the National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
• Anya Montiel, Curator, History and Culture Department at the National Museum of the American Indian.

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