CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A new director is coming to the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia.

According to a release, a committee of faculty and staff affiliated with the arts has selected Karen Elizabeth Milbourne, a senior curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

Milbourne brings more than 20 years of museum experience to UVA when she succeeds Matthew McLendon, who served as the Fralin’s director for six years.

“Dr. Milbourne has a dynamic track record of excellence through her work as a curator, researcher and administrator,” said Jody Kielbasa, UVA’s vice provost for the arts. “Recognized for her collaborative approach, she will further encourage a spirit of curiosity within the UVA community and build on her expertise to engage, empower and support The Fralin’s dedicated team as they promote diversity of thought throughout the museum’s collections, exhibitions and public offerings.”

The release says Milbourne will be in charge of the museum’s core research and teaching missions, present groundbreaking exhibitions, and support an emerging generation of artists, researchers and professionals.

“UVA is an extraordinary university,” Milbourne said. “It is an honor to join the dedicated team of the Fralin Museum of Art at this moment, as we envision a new Center for the Arts. I am so excited by what we can do together.”

She has spent 15 years with the National Museum of African Art, overseeing the curation of archives, collections and publications, and working with the arts of western Zambia and other contemporary African art.

Among various awards, fellowships and positions, she is a former chair of the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship program and currently serves on the scientific committee for Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions.

Before getting to the Smithsonian, Milbourne was the associate curator of African Art at the Baltimore Museum of Art and an assistant professor of art history at the University of Kentucky.

Milbourne will take up her new position on Jan. 29.