Karol Lawson, former director of the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College, has been named interim director of the Sweet Briar College Art Gallery. She was the Maier's director from 1999 to 2007.

According to Lawson, during her time at the helm, the Maier added more than 150 works of art to its permanent collection; increased annual attendance and membership 27 and 29 percent, respectively; formed an advisory board; and raised approximately $200,000 for "collections care, exhibitions, programming and acquisitions."

Karol LawsonA 1981 graduate of Sweet Briar, Lawson earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in art history from the University of Virginia. She is a native of Loudoun County, Va., and a resident of Lynchburg.

"I am extremely happy to be in a position to help Sweet Briar and it'll be a good year for me to kind of reset my compass and decide what the next steps are for [me]," Lawson said.

Lawson's yearlong appointment, effective July 15, comes after the resignation of longtime gallery director Rebecca Massie Lane, who recently accepted the director's post at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Md.

"I am very much looking forward to this opportunity to serve the students and faculty of Sweet Briar as the community adjusts to Rebecca's departure," Lawson said. "She has accomplished a great deal in her time on campus, laying a strong foundation for future growth.

"It will be a genuine pleasure to serve my alma mater but even more rewarding will be helping the College's galleries and art collection thrive as the process goes through a healthy transitional period."

Lane served as Sweet Briar's gallery director for nearly 19 years. During that time, the gallery celebrated its 20th anniversary and the number of items in the permanent collection nearly doubled.

She was instrumental in developing the student docents program and increasing the number of outreach programs to the Sweet Briar and local communities, including tours and workshops for Amherst County Public Schools.

The gallery also hosted many student-curated exhibits and published numerous catalogs with Lane as director.

"The opportunity for our own students to be engaged in the art gallery all grew enormously during my tenure here," she said. "It raised the community awareness of the art gallery and the collection as an academic resource. ... I feel that the whole program has reached a level of vitality that will give the next person a great spot from which to launch the next era of work."

As for her replacement, Lane believes she has left the gallery in good hands. "I'm delighted that she's accepted the post as interim director and I know the art gallery will benefit from an intelligent and creative leader," Lane said.

Jonathan Green, dean of the College, agreed. "[Lawson] brings a wealth of experience as a museum director with significant expertise in American art, which is the focus of her doctoral work. ... Also, she's an alumna, so it'll be nice to bring her home for awhile," he said.