COLLEGEVILLE, PA.-The Philip and Muriel Berman of Art at Ursinus College welcomes to its Art Advisory Board the director of the F. Gilot Archives in Vista , Calif. , Mel Yoakum, Ph.D.

Yoakum, a curator, writer and recognized authority on the works of internationally renowned artist Françoise Gilot, is the author of Stone Echoes: Original Prints by Françoise Gilot – a Catalogue Raisonné (1995), Françoise Gilot Monograph 1940-2000 (2001) and Françoise Gilot: Painting – Malerei (2003) in addition to exhibition catalogue essays and articles. He will serve a three-year term.

In 1991, he was appointed Director of The F. Gilot Archives with the curatorial responsibility of documentation, research and exhibition of the artist's work.

Since its opening in 1989, the Berman Museum at Ursinus College has enjoyed a special collaboration with The F. Gilot Archives, said Berman Director Lisa Tremper Hanover . “Françoise has exhibited at the Berman on three separate occasions and her explorations of color, shape and strength of line have established her as an important Twentieth Century artist. She holds an honorary degree from Ursinus College . Mel has been a vital resource in this connection and we look forward to his enhanced role as an advocate for the Museum.”

Ursinus President John Strassburger said he is “delighted to welcome Mel to this leadership position. His involvement with the advisory board will be a real asset to our visual arts program.”

The Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus, known for its diverse collection and innovative educational programming, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; noon to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, and closed Mondays and college holidays. The museum is accessible to the physically disabled and admission is free. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. Exhibitions and programs are funded in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. For group tour information, call 610-409-3500.

Ursinus College is a highly selective, independent coeducational liberal arts college located on a scenic, wooded 170-acre campus, 28 miles from Center City Philadelphia. The college is one of only 8 percent of U.S. Colleges to possess a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Its web site is located at .