Amy Bartow-Melia joins American Alliance of Museums Board of Directors
June 4, 2025
State Museum Executive Director among 25 leaders shaping the future of the museum field.
The South Carolina State Museum announced that its Executive Director Amy Bartow-Melia has been selected as a Board Member for the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). She is one of seven new members on the Board, which is made up of 25 leading professionals who will serve three-year terms.
“The American Alliance of Museums has supported me at every stage of my professional journey, beginning in graduate school,” says State Museum Executive Director Amy Bartow-Melia. “It’s an incredible honor to now serve on the AAM Board, giving back to the museum field alongside such an inspiring group of leaders.”
Since becoming executive director in August 2020, Bartow-Melia has led the museum’s Reimagine the Experience campaign. This multi-phase initiative aims to transform how visitors engage with South Carolina’s history, art, natural history, science and technology by revitalizing the museum’s permanent exhibition galleries and expanding educational outreach. Over $38 million dollars has been raised for this initiative to date. As part of the first phase of the project, the museum’s Lipscomb Art Gallery, updated with state-of-the art museum lighting and new HVAC, will reopen this summer with a retrospective exhibition of the museum’s expansive art collection.
Under her leadership, the State Museum has welcomed close to a half million guests; increased its annual budget by 112%; expanded the museum’s accessibility initiatives; launched a searchable collections database for students and researchers; and produced a series of new, successful programs including partnerships with the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and the USC Center for Civil Rights History and Culture.
Prior to joining the museum, Bartow-Melia spent over 20 years at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in various leadership roles. She has served as Chair of AAM’s Accreditation Commission as well as on several nonprofit boards, including the National Council for History Education. Bartow-Melia was the founding director of two arts nonprofits, The London International Gallery of Children’s Art and Children’s’ International Art Outreach (CIAO). She holds a B.A., cum laude, in Anthropology and Education from the College of William and Mary, an MAT in Museum Education from the George Washington University, and is a graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute and the Smithsonian Leadership Development Program.
For the full list of the Board Members and the AAM Leadership team, visit aam-us.org
About the South Carolina State Museum
Since opening in 1988, the South Carolina State Museum has been committed to collecting, preserving and showcasing the rich culture, art, natural history, technology and innovation of the Palmetto State. Through a comprehensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and four floors of stimulating exhibitions and displays housed within the historic Columbia Mills Building, the State Museum provides educational environments that entertain, inspire and enrich the lives of millions of visitors and students from across South Carolina. For more information about the museum, visit scmuseum.org.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward
