ST. LOUIS, MO.- The Saint Louis Art Museum announces that Matthew Robb was promoted to full-time assistant curator of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. He joined the Museum in the summer of 2007 as the Mellon Fellow for Pre-Columbian Art.

Since his arrival, Robb has been re-examining the Museum's world-renowned collection of ancient art of the Americas. For the Pre-Columbian Highlights Gallery, which opened last fall in anticipation of the Museum's expansion project, Robb selected objects of exceptional aesthetic quality that showcase a range of cultures from the western hemisphere. He has brought a fresh, up-to-date perspective to the Pre-Columbian art collection that has been a hallmark for the Museum since donated by the city's great philanthropist and businessman Morton May.

"Matthew has overseen the daunting task to not only assess the breadth and depth of Morton May's great gift to the city, but also to make it more accessible to the many visitors who seek greater understanding of the ancient art of north and south America," said Andrew Walker, assistant director for curatorial affairs.

Robb holds a Ph.D. in art history with a focus on the art and archaeology of ancient Mesoamerica from Yale University, an MA in art history from the University at Austin, and a BA in art and archaeology from Princeton University. Upon completing his Ph.D. at Yale University, Robb was awarded the Frances Blanshard Fellowship Fund Award for an Outstanding Dissertation in the History of Art. This highly coveted award is given to a select few and some years not at all.