Laura Sims PeckOperations Manager for the Center for Design and Material Culture

My professional and research interests have revolved around object collecting, particularly fine art. My graduate research focused on Christian icons and their collecting history in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, and my professional work has been with private art collectors on the management and exhibiting of their objects. This culminated in the creation of The Warehouse, a private art museum in Milwaukee, where I served as curator. Throughout my career I have held a deep appreciation for art objects and the stories behind their creation and collecting, and strive to make museums and cultural repositories accessible learning environments for all. The Center for Design and Material Culture within the School of Human Ecology is an incredible opportunity for students and the community at large to engage with objects in new and unexpected ways, while fostering collaboration and experimentation. I am so glad to be a part of this center and the Human Ecology community.