Karol B. Wight

Dr. Karol Wight became executive director at The Corning Museum of Glass in August 2011 and served as curator of ancient and Islamic glass from August 2011 through July 2017. In January of 2015, she was promoted to the position of President and Executive Director of the Museum and is now responsible for oversight of all Museum activities.

A specialist in ancient glass, she has curated or co-curated numerous exhibitions on ancient art and glass, including Ennion and his Legacy: Mold-Blown Glass from Ancient Rome (CMoG, 2015), and Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity (J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, ongoing). For 2017, Wight provided curatorial assistance for the Rakow Research Library’s exhibition, Curious and Curiouser: Surprising Finds from the Rakow Library (opened April 2017).

In January 2017, Wight was appointed to a U.S. State Department advisory post on the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) by former President Barack Obama. CPAC advises the president and other government officials on the establishment or renewal of memoranda of understanding designed to protect the cultural heritage of foreign countries. Wight represents the interests of museums on CPAC.

Previously, she was senior curator of antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum, located at the Getty Villa in Malibu, California. While there, Wight directed public programs and changing exhibits at the Getty Villa, and managed the Department of Antiquities.

Wight received her doctorate in art history from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and holds a place on AAMD’s Art and Archaeology Task Force. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Association for the History of Glass.