Laura Jane Ramsburg Selected as Director of the Staniar Gallery The experienced arts administrator joins Washington and Lee from Hollins University’s Eleanor D. Wilson Museum.

By Brian Laubscher
October 21, 2025

Washington and Lee University named Laura Jane Ramsburg as the next director of the Staniar Gallery. She officially began her duties on Oct. 20.

“Staniar Gallery has a strong history of dynamic exhibitions which have been integral to the university’s mission of providing a vital and relevant liberal arts education,” said Ramsburg. “I’m invested in growing the gallery’s role as a place of interdisciplinary learning and engagement.”

Ramsburg has over 20 years of experience in arts administration, having spent the last 19 years with the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University. She began her work at Hollins in 2006 as exhibition and program coordinator for the Wilson Museum, before rising to assistant director, manager of museum operations, assistant director and eventually, associate director.

In her various roles at the Wilson Museum, Ramsburg was responsible for every aspect of academic museum operations, including curating and installing exhibitions, planning and leading programming, overseeing interns and student employees and managing marketing and budgeting efforts. She was also closely involved with Hollins’ Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) certificate program which allows students to connect their studies with a potential career in a cultural heritage field.

Ramsburg’s work experiences also include four years with the Art Museum of Western Virginia (now Taubman Museum of Art), serving as a development associate and assistant registrar. She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology. She later earned a Master of Arts in liberal studies from Hollins.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Laura Jane to W&L from Hollins, where she was both an accomplished museum professional and esteemed teacher and mentor,” said Elliott King, professor of art history and chair of the search committee. “Her commitment to liberal arts education, collaborative spirit and deep experience in all aspects of gallery management will be tremendous assets to the Staniar Gallery and the wider university.”

The Staniar Gallery is located on the second floor of Wilson Hall, in W&L’s Lenfest Center for the Arts. When the campus is open to the public, gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the 2025-26 exhibition and programming schedule, visit Staniar Gallery website.