Be sure to stop by the Stone House Museum on Opening Day (May 12)
or soon afterwards to meet our two new staff members. Based on extensive work by
the search committee, the trustees have hired Laura L. Quinn, Ph.D. as
director, and Starr M. Florio, as curator.With a life-long interest in historic house museums, Laura brings extensive fund raising experience to her new post. Her company, Laura Quinn Design, offers sustainable design and historically sensitive renovation for residential and commercial properties. She is also co-founder of QuDoz Solutions, a consulting and fundraising software development firm. Previously she worked as major gifts officer, and director of donor relations and campaign events in the Advancement Division at Smith College. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and received her doctorate at the University of Rochester; and is a resident of Amherst. As director of the Stone House she will be responsible for scheduling and conducting tours, working with volunteers, procuring grants and coordinating fundraising events.
Starr’s curatorial experience extends from the National Museum of the Morgan Horse in Shelburne, Vermont, to the Amherst Historical Society and Museum. She owns Lone Starr Framing in Northampton, and resides in that community. She is a graduate of Smith College as well as Smith’s Summer Institute in Art Museum Studies. As curator at the Stone House, she will be responsible for ensuring the physical condition of the museum and out buildings, conserving the collection, mounting exhibits, training curatorial volunteers and docents, conducting tours, and maintaining inventory records.
Several months ago, upon the departure of curator Caren Harrington, the trustees took a close look at the duties of the Stone House Museum. They felt those tasks could be divided into administrative and curatorial functions, which, they determined, could best be accomplished by two part-time staff members who would bring different skill sets to the jobs.