The North Carolina Museum of History is pleased to announce that Maria Vann will now lead the three North Carolina Maritime Museums: the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort, and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.
Vann is a historian and museum professional from New York who serves as deputy director of the North Carolina Museum of History. She holds an MA in museum studies and a BS in history. She has directed several museums, including the East Hampton Historical Society, the Maritime Museum at Battleship Cove in Massachusetts, and the Iroquois Indian Museum. Vann previously served as an adjunct history professor at the State University of New York at Oneonta and as education programs manager at the New York State Historical Association.
Vann currently serves as a board member of the Small Museum Association. Her interests include colonial Dutch and maritime history and travel.
Vann said, “I am thrilled to continue working permanently with the staff and the support organizations at the three NC maritime museums. The stories they share through exhibits and programs illuminate the fascinating history of North Carolina and the globe, utilizing the unique lens of maritime culture so they can tell stories in a provocative and exciting way. It is an honor to be appointed to this role.”
For more details, click the links above or visit ncmuseumofhistory.org.
About the NC Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, fosters a passion for North Carolina history. This museum collects and preserves artifacts of state history and educates the public on the history of the state and the nation through exhibits and educational programs. Admission is free. In 2023, more than 355,000 people visited the museum to see some of the 150,000 artifacts in the museum collection. The Museum of History, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
About the Smithsonian Affiliations Network
Since 2006, the North Carolina Museum of History has been a Smithsonian Affiliate, part of a select group of museums and cultural, educational, and arts organizations that share Smithsonian resources with the nation. The Smithsonian Affiliations network is a national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative partnerships with museums and other educational and cultural organizations to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. More information is available at affiliations.si.edu.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina—its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages more than 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the NC Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the NC Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the NC Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit dncr.nc.gov.