Danville museum names interim executive director

The board of directors of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History this week announced Tina Cornely as its interim executive director.

An innovative educator and accomplished art historian, museum administrator and author, Cornely, a Georgia native, has more than 36 years of experience at some of America’s top arts institutions including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Pérez Art Museum Miami.

Cornely served on the board of trustees of the Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance and the Friends of the Orphans. In 2012, she founded the nonprofit Bridging Humanity.

The mission of the museum, located at 975 Main Street, Danville, is to promote art and history in the Dan River Region.

It was established in 1974. The campus includes the Sutherlin Mansion, Swanson Studios, a research center, the Perkinson Rose Garden and park-like grounds, according to its website. The mansion includes the historic home, a grand auditorium, two art galleries, three collections galleries, a civil rights exhibition and a permanent Civil War exhibit.

The museum leases the property from the city of Danville, the website states. The site has been designated as a Virginia Historic Landmark and a Garden Club of Virginia Historic Restoration Project, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum is a partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond and is a designated site of the Virginia Civil War Trails and Time Travelers programs.

For more information, visit danvillemuseum.org.