UCI Official Hired for Bowers Post

The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana has chosen the head of UC Irvine Extension’s arts and humanities programs as its new director of education and public programs, filling a vacancy left by the departure two months ago of Janet Baker, Bowers officials announced Tuesday.

Nancy Warzer-Brady has been at UCI Extension for nearly a decade and also has been a strong advocate of children’s rights. She helped spearhead a children’s rights seminar at UC Irvine in 1992.

At UCI she worked to expand the arts and humanities offerings to include courses such as the history of Surrealism, holography and the archeology of China. She also revamped the format of continuing education to include six-week “mini-terms” that would be easier for many adults to complete than traditional courses running a full quarter.

Warzer-Brady assumes her post at Bowers on July 25. A museum official said there is no immediate plan to find a replacement to take over Baker’s additional duties as curator of Asian art.

Baker left Bowers in April after 7 1/2 years there to become curator of Asian art at the Phoenix Art Museum. Her departure left Bowers with only one curator, Armand Labbe, director of research and collections and chief curator.

The museum relies on guest curators for most of the touring exhibitions it hosts.