The Bosque Museum Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the hiring of Matthew S. Taylor, Ph.D. as the Museum’s Executive Director. Dr. Taylor has a wide range of experiences in museum leadership and development, private business and teaching at the university level, and is committed to excellence in best practices in the use and growth of historical collections.
Matthew is a native of Johnson City, Texas, attending Angelo State University after high school, and receiving a Bachelor of Arts in History. He also holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Albany. His professional experience includes management and curation of collections at Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Austin, Fort Concho NHL, the Panhandle-Plains Museum in Canyon, Texas, and the New York State Museum in Albany. He also has served on the teaching faculties at Georgia Southern University, the University of Washington, the University of Texas at Arlington, SUNY-Albany, and Florida Atlantic University.
Dr. Taylor’s vision for the Museum includes enhanced visitor experiences through exhibits which attract broad interests, as well as furthering the development of effective educational programs available to schools, civic organizations and the public in general.
He believes the Museum belongs to the people of Bosque County and exists to serve our citizens, coordinating its work with other organizations to enrich our lives. Dr. Taylor is devoted to our land, its people and the history that makes Bosque County a special place and looks forward to every opportunity to present programs in our community organizations.
With his passion for Texas history, coupled with his broad education and experience, Dr. Taylor is well-equipped to preserve the Bosque Museum’s current collections and to lead its growth and expansion in documenting Bosque County’s history, as well as the Museum’s educational programs and special events.
The Bosque Museum is a remarkable county museum which has been led well since its formation in 1954. The Board of Trustees and our current Executive Director, Barbara Aars, realize that the cultural impact of the Bosque Museum now requires a larger “footprint,” with the attendant opportunities and challenges that go with a broader exposure to the public. We are convinced that Dr. Matthew Taylor will effectively lead the Museum in its mission of protecting and preserving Bosque County’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment and economic benefits of the public it serves.
Dr. Taylor’s intended start date is July 8, 2019. The Museum will host a community reception for Dr. Taylor on August 15 in conjunction with the Anniversary of the Horn Shelter Discovery. The Trustees know you will make the Taylors welcome and will enjoy getting to know our new Executive Director and his family. They will be a great asset to Bosque County. Tom Henderson, President