Tamara Barnes named Curator of the Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry3 min read
Ann Arbor, Mich., Dec. 2, 2021 – Tamara C. Barnes has been named Curator of the Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
Barnes joins the museum after four years as Assistant Director for Material Culture at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in Kalamazoo, Mich., where she managed the exhibit and collections departments. She brings more than 20 years of broad experience in museum management for arts, cultural and historical societies in Michigan, New Jersey and New York, among other locations.
The Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry is one of only a handful of museums throughout the world devoted to preserving and exhibiting the history of dentistry. Barnes will lead and manage all aspects of the museum, including exhibitions, programs and communications involving the museum, collection stewardship and acquisition, research and presentations. Barnes will supervise the museum staff, facilities, security and environmental conditions affecting the collection. The position also sets long-term strategy for the museum.
Barnes holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in history from the Western Michigan University as well as a master’s of arts in museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Cooperstown, New York. More information and background on Barnes can be found in this blog post from the museum’s website.
The Sindecuse collection includes 25,000 objects on the history of dentistry with particular interest on dental practice and technology in the U.S. and Michigan dating from the 18th century to today. Focused on educating audiences about the history of dentistry through exhibitions and related programs, the museum also conducts research on, and preservation of, its broad collection.
The Sindecuse Museum was created in 1991 with a gift from Dr. Gordon H. Sindecuse, a 1921 graduate of the U-M School of Dentistry who had practiced for 30 years in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The museum opened on September 18, 1992, on the first- and ground-floor lobbies of the Kellogg Institute Building on the west side of the dental school complex. In 1995, plans were initiated to expand the museum as part of a major Kellogg renovation. In September 2000, the museum re-opened in the indoor atrium that now connects Kellogg to the rest of the school.
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The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the school to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu. Contact: Lynn Monson, associate director of communications, at dentistry.communications@umich.edu, or (734) 615-1971.