MAGGIE WETHERBEE credits her parents with sparking her interest in museums. When Wetherbee was 2-years-old, her parents took her to a local museum to see a King Tut exhibit. That began a life-long interest that accelerated when she was in college.

Today, Wetherbee is the new curator of the Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens and is thrilled about her new role. She has worked as a curatorial consultant preparing the collections from the Bolsa Chica archaeological excavations in Huntington Beach and is working on a collections and exhibition project at the Gilman Ranch in Banning. Wetherbee was the Curator of Anthropology at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum. While there, she worked with the staff of Edward-Dean. “I knew the staff. I knew the collections. I was familiar with the museum and they were familiar with me,” she said. “I’m really excited. I really like the collections and what my job entails and I’m really

looking forward to seeing what’s here.”

She brings to the museum some serious accomplishments that include studying in Cairo and London. Wetherbee attended the University of Washington, where she majored in anthropology. She also studied at The American University in Cairo, where she was the assistant to an Egyptologist. She then obtained her Master’s degree in museum studies from University College London, where she graduated with distinction, which means she got an A on every single thing she did. While there, she worked for the prestigious British Museum in two departments. “It was great and they taught me a lot,” she said.

As Edward-Dean’s curator, Wetherbee has a big job. She is in charge of collections care and management as well as the exhibits. She writes grants and is an advocate for the collections. “We really have an amazing collection here and it’s right in our backyard,” she said. Wetherbee said she will work to bring more people to the museum by offering innovative types of programs, as well as exhibits that appeal to different groups, such as students, academics and others.

Possibilities include art classes for college students and for children. “I think once people realize what is here, it will be easier to get the word out,” she said. She commended the staff and volunteers of Edward-Dean for doing a fantastic job in caring for the museum, its gardens and its collections. She said the museum is also fortunate to have an extremely active Friends group that helps fund exhibits and restoration and conservation of artifacts.

Wetherbee said she is looking forward to working with Edward-Dean’s collections. “I love coming in and fixing a collection,” she said. “That’s my favorite thing to do.” Wetherbee hopes to impress upon area residents how special Edward-Dean is. People tend to support big museums like the Getty and forget about their local museums, she said. “I’m an advocate for supporting the historic homes and museums in your backyard,” she said. “In Riverside County, there are so many wonderful treasures.”