Walters and Morgan State Announce Strategic Partnership

Baltimore, MD—Julia Marciari-Alexander, the Andrea B. and John H. Laporte Director at the Walters Art Museum and David Wilson, President, Morgan State University, announced today a new multi-year agreement between the two organizations. The partnership will promote exhibitions, develop educational and artistic programs and create professional development opportunities for students and faculty at Morgan and staff of the Walters.

“The strategic partnership, formalized today, focuses on opportunities that will benefit both institutions, as well as the diverse citizens of the Baltimore region,” said Julia Marciari-Alexander. “Through this unique relationship, we hope to create deep systemic organizational change and have a creative and economic impact on the city.”

Over a period of three to five years, the Walters Art Museum and Morgan State University expect to collaborate in a variety of areas such as:

• Host and co-sponsor art exhibitions;
• Conduct and publish  joint research;
• Exchange expertise in the collection, storage, preservation, and exhibition of the museums’ holdings; and
• Develop courses related to art and museum management and exchange employees for teaching, study, research, or professional development opportunities.

“This historic partnership marks what is sure to be the beginning of a long relationship between two respected Baltimore institutions, allowing both organizations to benefit from collective resources,” said David Wilson. “Through our strategic collaboration we not only further a connection between academia and the art community, but we are establishing a foundation on which future achievement can be built.”

About Morgan State University

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie classified Doctoral Research Institution offering more than 70 academic programs leading to bachelors degrees as well as programs at the masters and doctoral levels. As Maryland’s Premier, Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multi-ethnic and multi-racial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information on Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

About the Walters Museum

The Walters Art Museum is located in downtown Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon Cultural District at North Charles and Centre Street.  At the time of his death in 1931, museum founder Henry Walters left his entire collection of art to the city of Baltimore. Its collection includes ancient art, medieval art and manuscripts, decorative objects, Asian art and Old Master and 19^th century paintings. The Museum Store, located next to Café Q, offers distinctive gifts, jewelry and books based on the museum’s collections. Wyndham Baltimore Peabody Court is the official hotel of the Walters Art Museum. For more information, visit www.thewalters.org.

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