Walters Art Museum Appoints New Chief Collections and Curatorial Affairs Officer

Dr. Katherine Larson’s hire rounds out the museum’s senior leadership team

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Baltimore, MD (February 4, 2026)–The Walters Art Museum announced today that it has hired Dr. Katherine Larson as its Chief Collections and Curatorial Affairs Officer and Senior Curator of Ancient Art, overseeing curatorial, collections, conservation, and research at the museum, following a national search process. Larson, a museum professional with a decade of curatorial and leadership experience, will shape and advance the artistic vision of the museum.

“We are thrilled to welcome Katherine Larson into this role. Katherine’s deep expertise and commitment to community engagement, scholarly excellence, and collections stewardship reflect the museum’s own commitment to access, research, and creating engaging, meaningful experiences for all visitors. I look forward to working alongside her as we continue to bring innovative exhibitions and installations to Baltimore and Maryland with this extraordinary collection,” said Kate Burgin, Andrea B. and John H. Laporte Executive Director and CEO.

Larson brings over a decade of experience in strategic leadership and curatorial excellence to the Walters Art Museum. Most recently, she served as Manager of Curatorial Affairs & Curator of Ancient Glass (2024-2026) at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, the world’s largest space dedicated to the display of art and history in glass. Previously she was the museum’s Curator of Ancient Glass (2019-2024), Assistant Curator of Ancient & Islamic Glass (2017-2019), and Curatorial Assistant (2016-2017). Larson received her PhD in Ancient Mediterranean Art & Archaeology from the University of Michigan, her MA in Classical & Near Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota, and her BA in Classical Archaeology from Macalester College in Minnesota. She was a Fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership in 2024 and conducted her mentorship residency at the Walters Art Museum with Julia Alexander, former Executive Director of the Walters.

“I am thrilled to join the talented and dedicated staff of the Walters Art Museum,” said Larson. “In addition to its exceptional, world-renowned collection, I am inspired by the museum’s commitment to free and meaningful access to art from around the world. Moreover, its programs and engagement with the Baltimore community demonstrate its belief in the value of ongoing and accessible conversations about art and culture.”

During Larson’s time at the Corning Museum of Glass, she worked with every facet of the institution, including executing cross-departmental plans for exhibitions, publications, collections care, and interpretation, and aligning scholarly content with visitor engagement goals. She curated multiple exhibitions, which include Dig Deeper: Discovering an Ancient Glass Workshop; Fire and Vine: The Story of Glass and Wine; Glass Bridge: A Clear Path to Sustainability; and What is Glass?, distinct for their integration of scholarly excellence with public engagement. Recently, she oversaw Corning’s institutional NAGPRA compliance and partnered with the Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center of the Seneca Nation of Indians on the 500-year history of glass beads and beadwork in Seneca communities.

Larson assumes the role of Chief Collections and Curatorial Affairs Officer and Senior Curator of Ancient Art on March 30. In this role, Larson will oversee the development and management of the Walters’ exhibition calendar. She will lead the museum’s multidisciplinary team of curators, conservators, registrars, and exhibition and installation specialists to steward the works in the museum’s collection. Larson will also serve a key role in fundraising for curatorial and collections priorities and drive forward the museum’s established innovation and audience-centered practices.

About Katherine Larson

Dr. Katherine A. Larson is a senior museum leader, curator, and scholar whose work centers on inclusive storytelling, rigorous collections stewardship, and collaborative institutional leadership. Her work reflects a deep commitment to making museums welcoming, relevant, and intellectually vibrant spaces for diverse publics. Larson served in several leadership and curatorial roles at the Corning Museum of Glass from 2016 to 2026 where she shepherded major initiatives spanning strategic planning, exhibition development, and collections management. She also led community-informed reinterpretations of the museum’s West African glass bead collection.

An active scholar, Larson has authored and edited numerous publications on ancient and global glass, including peer-reviewed articles and books. She currently serves as Co-Editor of the open-access, peer-reviewed Journal of Glass Studies. Larson is a board member of the Association International pour l’Histoire du Verre (AIHV) and co-chair of the Carolyn Midkiff Strange Committee on Growth, Innovation, and Visibility of the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR).

About the Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum is a cultural hub in the heart of Baltimore, located in the city’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. The museum’s collection spans more than seven millennia, from 5,000 BCE to the 21st century, and encompasses 36,000 objects from around the world. Walking through the museum’s historic buildings, visitors encounter a stunning panorama of thousands of years of art, from romantic 19th-century images of French gardens to mesmerizing Ethiopian icons, richly illuminated Qur’ans and Gospel books, ancient Roman sarcophagi, and serene images of the Buddha. Since its founding, the Walters mission has been to bring art and people together to create a place where people of every background can be touched by art. As part of this commitment, admission to the museum and special exhibitions is always free.

Admission to the museum is free. The Walters Art Museum is located at 600 N. Charles St., north of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. For general museum information, call 410-547-9000 or visit thewalters.org.

Free admission to the Walters Art Museum is made possible through the combined generosity of individual members and donors, foundations, corporations, and grants from the City of Baltimore, Maryland State Arts Council, Citizens of Baltimore County, Howard County Government, and Howard County Arts Council.