Elizabeth Chew became CEO of the South Carolina Historical Society in January 2024. A historian, curator, and educator, she has worked at museums and historic sites since 1985.
Prior to arriving in Charleston, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Curator at James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia. During her 8 1/2 years at Montpelier, Dr. Chew led teams of curators, historians, educators, interpreters, public program creators, archaeologists, and historic preservation experts in researching and interpreting James Madison and his family, his essential roles in framing the U.S. Constitution and leading the nation, and the community of enslaved people on the plantation.
Prior to joining Montpelier, Dr. Chew led the curatorial and education division at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, NC. Earlier in her career, she served as Curator at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA. During her thirteen-year tenure there, she was responsible for ongoing research and interpretation initiatives that wove together the Monticello house, its collections, the Jefferson family, and the enslaved community. Dr. Chew also worked in curatorial positions in art museums in Washington, D.C., at The Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Raised in Augusta, Georgia, Elizabeth received a BA in art history from Yale University, an MA from the University of London, and PhD from UNC- Chapel Hill.
The program is free to the public and will be held in the Museum’s McCown Auditorium located at 805 Main Street, Conway, SC 29526. For more information, call 843-915-5320 or email hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov. To view a full list of scheduled programs, visit the museum website at www.horrycountymuseum.org.
