Petra Slinkard, Director of Curatorial Affairs, The Nancy B. Putnam Curator of Fashion and Textiles

Petra Slinkard joined PEM in 2018, and now fosters the growth and inclusive spirit of the museum’s celebrated fashion initiative to develop a vibrant array of exhibitions, installations and programming that celebrates the global impact and reach of fashion and textiles. Slinkard oversees the museum’s Fashion and Design gallery and has served as curator or co-curator of Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, and Made It: The Women who Revolutionized Fashion. In her role as Director of Curatorial Affairs, Slinkard oversees the integration of PEM’s exhibition research and curatorial teams and develops departmental priorities and the strategies to deliver them.

Previously, Slinkard worked as curator of costume at the Chicago History Museum. She is an active member of the Costume Society of America (CSA) and the American Association of Museum Curators (AAMC). She serves on the National Board of CSA, and previously served as a juror for the Milla Davenport Publication Award and the chair for the Richard Martin Exhibition Award Committee.

Petra is a graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, where she earned a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising, a B.A. in Art History with a concentration in Modern and Contemporary Art and an M.S. in Fashion/Textile History. In 2017 she was recognized as one of the University’s “20 under 40” most distinguished alumni in the College of Arts + Sciences.

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