At their meeting on November 15, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science announced Mary McNamee Bower, the John Streetman Executive Director, will retire in 2024. President of the Museum’s Board of Trustees, Adam Borgman states, “Mary’s knowledge, dedication and leadership to both the Museum and the Evansville community have been extraordinary for more than four decades.”
“It has been an honor of a lifetime to lead the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science and work with its dynamic staff and engaged Board of Trustees,” says Bower. Her retirement is planned for May 30th. The Board of Trustees approved conferring the honorary title of Director Emerita to Bower effective her retirement date.
Bower, now in her 45th year with the Evansville Museum, began her career in Evansville after graduating with a degree in art history from Illinois State University. In addition to curating the art program of the Museum as the Virginia G. Schroeder Curator of Art, Bower has been team leader of four accreditation evaluations of the Evansville Museum by the American Alliance of Museums and was project manager for the development of the Museum’s master plan, multiple facility renovations, and 2014 building expansion.
In 2014, Bower was promoted to Chief Curator, overseeing planning and implementation of all art, history and science exhibitions and educational programming. In 2018, the Museum’s Board named her the John Streetman Executive Director. During her tenure as Director, the Museum adopted a new strategic plan, expanded its educational opportunities for underserved members of the community, renovated multiple art galleries, and developed a master plan for future renovations of the history galleries.
Bower currently serves on the Mayor’s Public Art Commission and the Advisory Board of the College of Liberal Arts at University of Southern Indiana. In 2008, she received the Arts Advocate Award from the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, and, in August of 2014, she was the recipient of the Mayor’s Arts Award. Bower was named one of the Junior League of Evansville’s Top 20 Women in Business in 2020.
