RICHMOND, VA.- The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) announced today that Kate Moomaw-Taylor has been appointed as the museum’s Chief Conservator. She began working in her new role on June 25, 2025.


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“I’m delighted that Kate will lead the conservation department at a transformative time at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: the beginning of the largest expansion in the museum’s history,” said Director and CEO Alex Nyerges. “As head of the Susan and David Goode Center for Advanced Study in Art Conservation at VMFA, she will oversee the care and treatment of the museum’s ever-growing collection of more than 50,000 invaluable works of art, ensuring that these works remain accessible to, and are sustained for, future generations of Virginians.”

Moomaw-Taylor has worked as a conservator of modern and contemporary art for 18 years, focusing on sculpture, design objects and time-based media. She joins VMFA from the Denver Art Museum, where she worked since 2011, most recently as its Senior Conservator of Modern and Contemporary Art.


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“Kate will advance the museum’s conservation efforts, ensuring the vital care of our greatest asset –– the works in our internationally-recognized permanent art collection,” said Artistic Director and Chief Curator Dr. Michael Taylor. “Her extensive experience in undertaking major conservation projects and groundbreaking technical research make Kate the ideal person to lead the Susan and David Goode Center for Advanced Study in Art Conservation through the next chapter of its distinguished history. We welcome her to the VMFA team.”

A founding member of the Contemporary Art Network (CAN!) of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), Moomaw-Taylor helped to build a community and promote exchange among conservators of contemporary art in the United States. Her published articles have addressed treatments of plastic artworks, the care of participatory artworks and the establishment of time-based media conservation at the Denver Art Museum.

Moomaw-Taylor completed training positions at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, D.C.), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Tate Modern (London, U.K.), the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, N.L.) and the Museum of Modern Art (New York).

She earned an M.A. in art history and an Advanced Certificate in Conservation from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. As an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, Moomaw-Taylor achieved a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies.

“I’m honored and excited to be appointed to this role leading a stellar conservation department at such an esteemed institution as VMFA. Conservation has a critical role to play in preparing the museum’s incredible collection for display in the upcoming expansion, and I’m eager to support the department in accomplishing this significant task, in collaboration with colleagues across the museum,” Moomaw-Taylor said. “I also look forward to exploring innovative ways to pull back the curtain on the fascinating work of conservation for visitors and supporters across the Commonwealth.”