Lindsy R. Parrott, Executive Director + Curator

Lindsy R. Parrott is the Executive Director and Curator of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass. During her nineteen year tenure at The Neustadt, Lindsy has conducted ground-breaking research on the manufacture and use of Tiffany's opalescent flat glass, which has been published in numerous journal articles and exhibition catalogues. She has further developed The Neustadt's partnership with the Queens Museum, which now houses a permanent gallery dedicated to changing exhibitions drawn from The Neustadt's collection.

In addition, Lindsy has curated traveling exhibitions exploring a variety of Tiffany topics, such as his translation of nature into glass, how his lamps were fabricated, and the aesthetic effects of changing lighting technology at the turn of the century. These exhibitions have been enjoyed by more than half a million people at museums across the country, including the Cincinnati Art Museum, Winterthur Museum, the Chrysler Museum of Art, and the Biltmore Estate.

Lindsy also co-curated Louis C. Tiffany and the Art of Devotion at the Museum of Biblical Art and Louis C. Tiffany: Nature by Design at the Shelburne Museum of Art. Most recently, Ms. Parrott served as co-curator of the special exhibition Tiffany’s Glass Mosaics, organized jointly by The Corning Museum of Glass and The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, and co-edited and contributed to the accompanying award-winning publication. Prior to The Neustadt, she held positions at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and the Norton Museum of Art, both in Florida.

Lindsy has taught graduate seminars on Louis C. Tiffany and advises independent study projects and M.A. theses exploring Tiffany and other American stained-glass artists. She is a member of numerous professional glass and decorative arts organizations, including the Art Glass Forum | New York (Board of Directors), the National American Glass Club (Board of Directors), Victorian Society New York, and American Glass Guild. In 2014 she was elected as a Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass.

Susan Tomlin, Conservator 

Susan Tomlin is the Conservator of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass. A specialist in stained glass conservation, Susan was instrumental in establishing guidelines and techniques for the newly emerging field of conservation and preservation of leaded glass objects in the 1970s. She has worked with leading museums and auction houses across the country, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, The New-York Historical Society, The Chrysler Museum of Art, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s. Susan has a Ph.D. in Medieval Church History from Union Theological Seminary, New York City.

Vincent Como, Collections + Exhibitions Manager

Vincent Como is the Collections and Exhibitions Manager at The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass. Vincent formally joined the Neustadt in 2021, bringing over two decades of experience working with a vast and diverse array of artworks and antiquities as well as having been directly involved with multiple projects for The Neustadt over the years. With a background in Fine Art Crating and Packing, Installation, and Logistics, he has had the privilege of working with major international museums, galleries, auction houses, artists, and estates. He holds a BFA in Drawing from the Cleveland Institute of Art and has exhibited extensively throughout the US and abroad. His work is represented by MINUS SPACE in New York and he is one of the founding members of Tiger Strikes Asteroid New York, a 501c3 artist-run exhibition space in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Alexandra M. Ruggiero, Consulting Curator

Alexandra M. Ruggiero is a Consulting Curator at The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass and an independent curator specializing in glass and the decorative arts. Alexandra comes to The Neustadt with a decade of curatorial experience at The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG), where she worked on projects and research that spanned the history of glass. From 2019 to 2022, she was Curator of Modern Glass with responsibility for acquisitions, exhibitions, cataloging, and research of the museum’s glass collections from 1825–1945. She was an integral team member of the exhibition Tiffany’s Glass Mosaics (2017), organized jointly by The Corning Museum of Glass and The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass. In early 2020, she curated the Tiffany Studios permanent gallery reinstallation. 

Alexandra’s area of special interest is 20th century German and Austrian decorative arts and in 2019, she published Selections from the Corning Museum of Glass, Modern Austrian Glass. As a curator at CMoG, Alexandra curated Glass of the Architects: Vienna, 1900–1937 (a cooperation of the MAK and LE STANZE DEL VETRO; 2018) and co-curated Fragile Legacy: The Marine Invertebrate Glass Models of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka (2016) and Past | Present: expanding the stories of glass (2022). Alexandra was also a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team and with her colleagues, undertook an Equity Audit Survey and report of the museum, crafted the museum’s Equity Statement, and rewrote the museum’s Land Acknowledgement.

Alexandra earned a master’s in the History of Decorative Arts through the Corcoran College of Art + Design and Smithsonian Associates in Washington, D.C. and a bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a member of the Association of Art Museum Curators, on the Steering Committee for the Rockwell Museum Ambassadors in Corning, NY, and serves on the Board of Directors for the National American Glass Club.

Amy Marks Delaney, Creative + Special Projects Manager

Amy Marks Delaney is the Creative and Special Projects Manager at The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass. Amy came to The Neustadt in 2023, with 25 years of academic and professional experience in museums and decorative arts. After graduate school, Amy joined the exhibitions department at Winterthur Museum, where she worked as an exhibition developer, project manager, and graphic designer on over 100 in-house and traveling exhibitions, spanning a range of subjects from costumes to paintings, maps to clocks, and porcelain to modern furniture. She has collaborated with museums across the country, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and The Neustadt, which loaned Tiffany Glass: Painting With Color and Light to Winterthur in 2015. Amy’s article, “Courting the Digital Age and Keeping the Faith at Winterthur” was published in The Magazine Antiques in 2015. She also wrote and illustrated Growing Together, a book for families with an adult member who has autism, published by AAPC in 2016.

Amy took the leap into entrepreneurship in 2016, and started an independent consultancy specializing in exhibition development, writing, and graphic design for museums and cultural organizations. She also began creating original artwork (primarily block printing), developing custom designs for clients, and collaborating on projects with other artists and small businesses. 

Amy earned a master’s degree through the University of Delaware’s Winterthur Program in Early American Culture, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Lawrence University. She also pursued supplementary courses in typography and graphic design at the Delaware College of Art and Design. Amy has lectured for and team-taught college and graduate level courses in museum studies and exhibition development. She currently serves as vice president on the board of the Society of Winterthur Fellows.

 

Cynthia Williams, President

For over two decades, Cynthia Williams has been professionally engaged in the field of the history of decorative arts and design. In 2015, after 15 years as Director/Assistant Professor of the MA program in the History of Decorative Arts offered through George Mason University in partnership with The Smithsonian Associates, she returned to the New York area. While pursuing her doctoral studies, she was recruited by a major real estate firm to curate a permanent exhibition, “The Power of Discovery.” The installation showcases the history and celebrated landscape design of the Boyce Thompson Institute, a pioneering plant science research foundation whose abandoned 1920s headquarters in Yonkers, NY her company meticulously restored and readapted as a multi-purpose healthcare, retail, dining and community center. Prior to her academic career, Cynthia held corporate communication and human resources assignments at Fortune 500 companies including Nestlé USA, The Avon Company, Xerox and Sony Corporations. She holds a BA from Pace University, an MA in Corporate Communication from Fairfield University and an MA in the History of Decorative Arts from Parsons School of Design/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum during which she completed an eighteen-month glass and ceramics internship in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 2020 Cynthia completed a PhD in art history at the University of Glasgow with a specialism in 19th-Century British glass and also was named a Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass. Additionally, Cynthia is instructor of the major required “History of Glass” course for undergraduate students at Rhode Island School of Design and is an active participant in numerous art history related organizations. Cynthia has served on the board of The Neustadt since 2009 and began serving as board president in 2014.

Nadia H. Watts, Vice President

Nadia H. Watts is the founder of the eponymous firm Nadia Watts Interior Design based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 2009, the firm specializes in high-end residential interior design, from dramatic renovations on historic homes to designing new homes from scratch. Nadia’s work is frequently featured in publications, including Luxe Interiors + Design, 5280 Home, Dering Hall, Colorado Homes and Lifestyles, ElleDecor.com, The Scout Guide, and Reign Magazine. She is the recipient of the Robert & Judi Newman Award for Excellence in Classical and Traditional Design through The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art; she has been recognized with additional awards, including Luxe Interiors + Design Eye on Design (2017), Luxe Interiors + Design Gold List (2015, 2019), 5280 Home Top Denver Design (2016, 2017), and Colorado Homes and Lifestyles Fabulous list (2017, 2018, 2019).

While completing her graduate work at the New York School of Interior Design, Nadia spent two years in the American Decorative Arts Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art assisting with the special exhibition Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall – An Artist’s Country Estate (2007). The great-great-granddaughter of Tiffany, this experience deepened her understanding of and appreciation for his creativity and artistic achievements. Tiffany’s work has inspired and influenced Nadia throughout her life, and continues to be a touchstone in her own designs.

She is a member of the Denver Art Museum’s Design Council and Young Museums Associates. Nadia has also been an active member of the Junior League in New York City and Denver, serving as a Board Member and Vice President of Fundraising.

Paul Doros, Secretary

Paul Doros is a leading expert on the life and art of Louis C. Tiffany. He began his career in 1975 as the first Curator of Glass at the Chrysler Museum of Art. He obtained the museum’s first National Endowment of the Arts grant, which helped fund his publication The Tiffany Glass Collection of the Chrysler Museum at Norfolk (1977). In 1978, Paul joined Christie’s as a specialist in their Twentieth-Century Decorative Arts Department, a position he held for nearly ten years. He continues to work as a consultant for Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Doyle’s, and Bonham’s. Paul has researched, written, and lectured extensively on Tiffany, and his depth of knowledge has led to an appearance on the PBS program History Detectives. In 2013, Paul published his critically acclaimed book The Art Glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany (Vendome Press). He is a member of numerous professional glass and decorative arts organizations, including Art Glass Forum | New York (Board of Directors) and the Victorian Society New York. In 2016 he was elected as a Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass. Paul joined the board of The Neustadt in 2017.

Ron Hoina, Treasurer

Prior to co-founding Design Development Architects in 2005, Ron Hoina was a professional staff member of several large architectural firms at which he managed design teams and corporate and industrial design studios in the tristate area. At Design Development, Ron and his team expertly produce thousands of projects of all types and sizes for hundreds of local and national clients. As both architect and consultant, he successfully has led numerous Design Development projects in multifamily residential, office/medical office, and retail sectors. Drawing upon his university degrees in both art history and architecture, Ron, as well, has guided the meticulous repurposing of historic properties such as the Boyce Thompson Institute in Yonkers, NY. On a personal note, Ron feels indebted to his participation in sports—both as a player and as a coach—for fostering his ability to create a truly collaborative environment among his staff and clients.

Ron earned a Bachelor of Arts in art history at Fordham University and a Bachelor of Architecture at Pratt Institute and holds professional licenses across states in the Northeast. In addition to participating in career-related specialist organizations, he serves as a trustee of Fordham Prep School. Ron has been a member of the Neustadt Board of Trustees since 2018.

Mary C. Mills, Trustee

Mary Cheek Mills has over 20 years of experience as a glass historian, graduate professor, and museum educator. As Historic Glass Specialist for AECOM Cultural Resources Department in Burlington, New Jersey, she assists with archaeological research related to the early glass industry in Philadelphia. Ms. Mills co-curated AECOM’s first major exhibition, “From the Ground Up: Archaeology, Artisans, Everyday Life,” at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in 2016 and is associate editor of River Chronicles: The Journal of Philadelphia Waterfront Heritage & Archaeology. Prior to joining AECOM, she held the position of education programs manager at The Corning Museum of Glass.

Ms. Mills lectures extensively for museums and educational institutions and teaches European and American glass history for graduate programs at the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and Winterthur Museum. She earned her second master’s degree from the Winterthur Program in Early American Material Culture and completed the Attingham Summer School for the Study of English Country Houses and the Victorian Society Summer School in London. She is a Corning Museum of Glass Fellow, President of the National American Glass Club, and also serves on the board of Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center. Mary has served on the board of The Neustadt since 2005.

Jeanne Pelletier, Trustee

Jeanne Pelletier is a lawyer and preservationist with more than 30 years’ experience assisting non-profits, preservation organizations, and individuals. For over two decades, Jeanne served as Preservation Advisor to the Campaign for the Ayer Mansion, a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of the Tiffany-designed National Historic Landmark Ayer Mansion located in Boston’s Back Bay. As Preservation Advisor, Jeanne assembled the funding for, and directed almost $3 million of renovation projects on the building, including the most recent Phase III restoration of the building’s Tiffany-designed façade. The work received numerous awards, including a Preservation Award for Restoration from the statewide Massachusetts Historical Commission and the first ever Stewardship Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance, as well as a coveted Save America’s Treasures grant.

Jeanne has worked in preservation in Boston since 1994, holding positions with the Boston Preservation Alliance and Historic Boston, Incorporated, where she oversaw their award-winning Steeples Project. She was Principal and co-owner of the preservation firm of Jean Carroon Architects, and also served as Manager of Planning and Urban Design at the Boston architectural firm of Goody, Clancy and Associates.

Jeanne holds a BA with Honors from Smith College, and a JD from George Washington University. In addition to her professional work, Jeanne is currently restoring a farmhouse on Cape Cod that dates to 1780.

Elizabeth De Rosa, Trustee Emeritus

Elizabeth De Rosa is an independent curator and historian specializing in Art Nouveau and Art Deco in Europe and America. Her exhibitions include Tiffany: Behind the Glass at the Queens Museum (2001) and Louis C. Tiffany and the Art of Devotion at the Museum of Biblical Art (2012–2013), for which she was co-curator and contributed to the accompanying publication. Most recently, she contributed a chapter on Tiffany designer Jacob Adolphus Holzer (American, b. Switzerland, 1858–1938) to Tiffany’s Glass Mosaics (University of Washington Press, 2017). Elizabeth previously held positions as the Jane and Morgan Whitney Fellow in the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Curator of Collections at the New Jersey Historical Society. She earned her Ph.D. at Columbia University, and has taught in the MA Program in the History of Decorative Arts offered through Parsons School of Design/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Elizabeth has served on the board of The Neustadt since 2005.

Gregory A. Merkel, Trustee

Dr. Gregory A. Merkel (1954–2022) was a Research Fellow in the Crystalline Materials Research Department at Corning Incorporated where he pursued a career in technical ceramics since 1981. He received his Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and his Doctorate in Geochemistry and Mineralogy from the Pennsylvania State University. Motivated by a quest for beauty and a strong intellectual curiosity, Greg's enthusiasm for glass spanned all of its aesthetic, historic, and scientific aspects. For over 25 years, Greg collected and studied 19th- and early 20th-century iridescent art glass and luster ceramics, with a special focus on Steuben glass from Frederick Carder’s era. His interest in the science behind this material led Greg to write a comprehensive book on Steuben colored glassware manufactured from 1903 to 1933, interpreting the glass formulas in Frederick Carder’s laboratory notebooks housed in the Corning Museum’s Rakow Research Library. Greg also conducted x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) analysis on Tiffany metallic foil-backed and iridescent glass from The Neustadt’s Glass Archive. He was a Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass. Greg joined the board of The Neustadt in 2013 and served as a valued trustee for eight years.