Louise welcomed Jeremiah Mathew Davis, the new Oshman Director and CEO of the museum, who introduced himself and shared a brief overview of his background and vision.

Jeremiah expressed his appreciation for the docent community, noting how rare it is for a museum of this size to have such a dedicated, talented, and highly educated group of individuals engaging with schools, guiding tours, and teaching youth of all ages. He emphasized how invaluable this work is to the museum and thanked docents for their continued support.

He shared that his background spans contemporary art, theater, performing arts, music, and dance, with a strong foundation in more traditional theater. Education, however, has been a central thread throughout his life. One of his first professional roles was teaching at the college level, followed by several years living in Istanbul, where he taught English and history at an international school, founded a high school drama program, and even served as an associate coach for a boys’ basketball team. These experiences, he explained, deeply shaped his commitment to education both as a student and as an educator.

Jeremiah affirmed his personal and professional support for all those educating in the community, stating that education has been integral to his work throughout his career. He spoke passionately about his love of art—engaging with it, discussing it, presenting it, making it, and creating culture—and emphasized that the museum’s role in showcasing art and supporting artists is inseparable from learning, engagement, and education.

He concluded by acknowledging the more than 50 years of work that have built the organization into what it is today and expressed his excitement about continuing that legacy into the next 50 years. He shared his enthusiasm for getting to know the docent community and finding meaningful ways to support their work at the museum.

Suman introduced our speaker, Diane Levinson who shared her memories and artwork from Jaune Quick-to-see-Smith A Native American visual artist. She was an enrolled citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and was also of Métis and Shoshone descent. She was an educator, storyteller, art advocate, and political activist.

Click on the following links to learn more about Jaune and her work: Jaune Quick to See