NEW ORLEANS, LA.- Susan M. Taylor, Director of NOMA, announced the appointment of Mel Buchanan as the RosaMary Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

“The Department of Decorative Arts and Design at NOMA has a large portion of the museum’s collection, with more than 15,000 works of art,” said Susan Taylor, Director of NOMA. “The collection encompasses all time periods from a wide range of cultures and continents. We look forward to working with Ms. Buchanan on showcasing our decorative arts collection in new and imaginative ways.”

Buchanan received her undergraduate degree in American Studies from Yale University and received her master’s degree from the University of Delaware Winterthur Program in American Material Culture where she focused on early American culture.

"I am thrilled to join the dynamic team at NOMA, and I look forward to exploring the beauty, craft, and range of the Museum's rich decorative arts collection. Each object carries with it a story, both in its original cultural context and its journey to New Orleans, and I am eager to make that story meaningful to the NOMA community."

Since 2009, Mel has been the Demmer Assistant Curator of 20th-century Design at the Milwaukee Art Museum, and previously served as Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts at The RISD Museum. During her career, she has curated numerous collection and loan exhibitions including the acclaimed exhibition Grete Marks: When Modern Was Degenerate (Sept 6, 2012 – Feb 17, 2013). She also founded and co-edited the Milwaukee Art Museum blog, managed museum collection archives and developed collection plans for both gifts and acquisitions.