Friends & Neighbors: Elsbeth Dowd to lead Lyme Art Association
In recent years the Lyme Art Association has refurbished its exterior, celebrated the centennial of its construction, presented nationally acclaimed exhibits of representational art, and provided educational and enrichment opportunities as well as a community for artists and art lovers at all levels.
Now, the association is undergoing a change in leadership.
After 12 years, Laurie Pavlos will step down from her position as Executive Director. Pavlos joined the Lyme Art Association staff in 2010 as business manager. Later, she led as part of the Executive Team joined by Gallery Manager Jocelyn Zallinger and Development Director Gary Parrington before assuming the Executive Director position in 2018.
As of July 1, Elsbeth Dowd will succeed Pavlos as Executive Director.
“The Lyme Art Association has the good fortune to have a very qualified and able successor to Laurie already on staff,” according to an art association release. “For the past two years, Elsbeth has been the Lyme Art Association’s Development Director. Upon joining the Association staff in early 2019, she wasted no time in enhancing our communications, starting with social media, and working with Laurie to help our broader community become more familiar with our organization and mission and to continue to build relationships with community partners, sponsors, members, and donors.”
Prior to joining the Lyme Art Association, Dowd was the Executive Director of the Oysterponds Historical Society in Orient, New York, and before that was Museum Registrar at the Sam Noble Museum in Oklahoma. Dowd received her bachelor’s degree in art and archaeology from Princeton University and her doctoral degree in anthropology from the University of Oklahoma.
Other new faces at the LAA galleries include Paul Michael, a graduate of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, who has taken over the role of Gallery Manager from Jocelyn Zallinger, who retired. Jolie Collins is the Association’s new Communications Manager, and Sarah Kentoffio and Franceska Nebel assist in the gallery and staff office.
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