ST. LOUIS, June 16, 2026—The Saint Louis Art Museum has named Tiarna Doherty the new director of conservation. She will lead the conservation department in safeguarding and preserving the museum’s collection through treatment and technical analysis of works of art, overseeing on-site labs dedicated to objects, paintings, works on paper, textiles, and matting and framing.
Doherty brings extensive museum leadership and academic experience to the role. She began her career as a paintings conservator at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where she worked for 10 years. She later served as the chief of conservation at the Lunder Conservation Center at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where she ran programs for conservators and allied professionals.
Most recently Doherty served as the deputy director for curatorial, exhibitions, and collections at The Wolfsonian–FIU in Miami Beach, Florida, where she established a three-year exhibition program and managed the implementation of grant-funded collection moves.
“We are excited for Doherty to lead SLAM’s conservation department,” said Jorge Rivas, the Emily Rauh Pulitzer Deputy Director and Chief Curator. “She is a seasoned museum professional with a wide array of experience and deep knowledge of the conservation field, making her well-equipped to continue advancing SLAM’s department.”
Doherty holds a doctorate in art history from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in art conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation.
Doherty’s first day at SLAM was June 1.
CONTACT: Molly Morris, 314.655.5250, [email protected]
Tiarna Doherty, director of conservation