Valdez Museum & Historical Archive
April Vasher-Dean serves as the Executive Director of the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive since January 2025. Prior to this role, April was the Director of The Art Museum at SUNY Potsdam from July 2008 to February 2025, where responsibilities included overseeing collections, curating exhibitions, and managing budgets. April has held various educational positions, teaching classes in Performance Studies, Modern Art History, Museum Studies, and Art History at institutions such as SUNY Potsdam and the University of Southern Indiana. Previous experience also includes directing the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Boyden Gallery at St. Mary's College of Maryland, along with a foundational role at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. April’s education includes advanced training in museum leadership, fundraising for non-profits, and a Master of Arts in Art History from California State University, Northridge.
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Valdez Museum & Historical Archive
The Museum is located in a remarkable place where events of both national and global significance occurred and continue to resonate. It began as a small, private exhibit of “curiosities” that grew over the years as community members added to it. These collections were displayed in various Valdez buildings until the 1964 Alaska Earthquake. In 1967, a centennial grant from the State of Alaska (centennial of purchase by the U.S. from Russia) funded the construction of the “centennial building” at 217 Egan Drive. Half of this building was used as a museum in the summer—displaying this growing collection. A federal bicentennial grant, received in 1976, funded renovation of the centennial building to make it more appropriate for museum purposes and led to the official creation of the Valdez Museum. The Museum functioned as a City of Valdez department with an advisory board providing input on operations until 1997. Then the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive Association, Inc (VMHA) was formed as a private non-profit corporation to contract with the City of Valdez to manage and operate the Museum. The VMHA Board of Directors governs the corporation and is accountable to the voting membership, made up of the members of the City Council. The membership, in turn, represents the residents of Valdez. The collection remains the property of the City. Today, the Museum’s program is carried out in two separate buildings totaling approximately 12,700 square feet. The Valdez Museum’s mission is to preserve, present, and interpret the heritage and culture of Valdez, the Copper River Basin, and Prince William Sound, Alaska. The core purpose is to share the past and present with integrity and honesty. We value: Education, Diversity, Community, Authenticity, Integrity, and Stewardship.