NEWARK, NJ.- Newark Museum Interim Co-Director Ulysses Grant Dietz has announced the appointment of Amy Simon Hopwood as Associate Curator, Decorative Arts Collection.

"I am happy to welcome Amy as the newest member of the Newark Museum’s curatorial team," said Dietz, who served as the Decorative Arts Curator for 37 years until his retirement on December 31, 2017. He assumed his new role as Interim Co-Director on January 1. "Her expertise in decorative arts, in particular costumes and textiles, will enhance the Museum’s impact on the communities we serve.”

In her new position, she will co-curate a Yves Saint-Laurent jewelry exhibition scheduled for fall 2019. In addition, she will work on acquisitions, gallery rotations, research, exhibition development, and programming related to the decorative arts collections and the Newark Museum’s 1885 Ballantine House.

“I am delighted to join the Newark Museum as I have long admired its focus on education, community, and the blending of art, craft, science, and history through its diverse collections. I am excited to bring my experience with decorative arts, especially costumes and textiles, to the Newark Museum. There is great potential in continuing to connect those collections to the mission of the museum, building upon the inspiring work of my predecessor, Ulysses Grant Dietz, and working with my accomplished and dedicated colleagues and the Newark community,” said Hopwood.

Prior to her new position, Hopwood was a Curatorial Contractor for the Museum’s Arts of Asia Collection. In this capacity, she worked to improve the storage and accessibility of the Korean collection. She also assisted with the study, photography and inventory of select South Asian textiles. Previously, Hopwood volunteered in the Curatorial Department, linking the decorative arts collection to the Newark Museum’s e-museum.

Additionally, Hopwood was Curator for Costumes and Textiles at the San Diego Historical Society, where she curated its first major costume exhibition, “From Bustles to Bikinis: A Century of Changing Beach Fashion.” She was also Adjunct Professor in the Honors Department at Long Island University, Brooklyn, teaching seminars in American social history and material culture through clothing and media.

Hopwood has also served as a board representative, school co-chair, and docent for Tictoc Theater & Art, a Bergen County volunteer organization created to provide fine and performing arts experiences to students through their classroom Art Docent Program in 17 member schools and their Sunday Afternoon Children’s Theatre Series.

Hopwood holds an M.A. from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, University of Delaware, and a B.A. in Fine Arts from Amherst College.