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Susan Baley, Director of the College’s Museum of Art, was recently appointed to the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG) as a representative for the state of Iowa. AAMG is an organization that works to preserve museums and galleries at universities by supporting best practices for its member organizations. Through educational and advocacy efforts, representatives support this effort in their specific state. 

Baley’s appointment as Iowa’s state representative serves as a testament to her commitment to expanding access to art and visual culture. Prior to coming to ������Ƶ, Baley led a museum education department and taught art history and museum studies at the University of Oklahoma for 25 years. Since 2015, she has led non-profits including an American art museum in Terre Haute, Indiana and a gallery dedicated to contemporary craft in Tulsa, Oklahoma before becoming the director of the ������Ƶ College Museum of Art (GCMoA) in 2022. 

In her time as director of GCMoA, Baley has overseen significant additions to the collection by Indigenous artists such as Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Rose B. Simpson and prioritized exhibiting the collection alongside temporary exhibitions while also teaching museum studies courses at the College. In the summer of 2023, she supported student interest in museum careers by providing a postbaccalaureate curatorial internship through grant funding. 

Baley says that she is grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting academic museums and galleries. She shares “I am honored to serve as the Iowa representative for AAMG because it is the most relevant national professional organization for people working in campus museums. I am taking on this role just in time to prepare for the 2026 annual AAMG conference, which will take place in Iowa City.” 

The College celebrates Susan Baley’s appointment and her continued dedication to museums and the arts in the state of Iowa.