OGDENSBURG -- The Frederic Remington Art Museum has hired Laura Desmond as their new museum education specialist.

“She is a fantastic find who will help the museum meet the lofty goals for education, exhibitions, and program content laid out in the museum's recently adopted Strategic Plan. We are incredibly lucky to have found such a capable and experienced person, who is also already here in the North Country and wants to be here,” a news release from the museum reads.

"I welcome having such an able partner in developing exhibitions and all manner of content to enrich the visitor experience. It was difficult to go a year without an educator, but I'm really glad we held off until we had created and digested the vision in the Strategic Plan. It has allowed us to make the decisions to bring aboard the right person at this exciting time, and to have her work priorities so clearly presented. I am very grateful to all the staff and volunteers who have helped keep things going during this strategic pause. We are all very excited to welcome Laura and to let the work begin," museum director Laura Foster said in a prepared statement.

Desmond's hiring comes about at the museum’s peak visitor season, which is also time to prepare for the school year.

“We hope to build the museum's existing school tour schedule substantially, as well as outreach to schools and other appropriate outside audiences, both in person and via the museum's distance learning interface,” the release says.

Winter develop the museum's Sally James Farnham exhibit on the museum's second floor, funded by the Robert F. and Eleonora W. McCabe Foundation. She will have a hand in the exhibit's content as well as related programming made possible by the new exhibit.

She was able to make several visits to the museum during the last few weeks as she finished up her work as director of development at TAUNY (Traditional Arts in Upstate New York.)

She met with Carolyn Wirth, the 2017 Artist-in-Residence, and experienced all of the components of this residency. She also participated in the initial meeting with next year's artist-in-residence, Margaret Jacobs, in preparation for 2018's residency.

“We hope that the new focus on these two contemporary sculptors will help move plans along to replace the museum's lost wax bronze exhibit with something that provides an excellent educational opportunity to learn the basics of lost wax bronze casting. Desmond will be a big part of this project as well,” according to the release.

Desmond has taken charge of running the Eva Caten Remington Education Center, where the classroom will host new offerings in art classes, workshops, and other programs. She has brought an informal painting and drawing circle with her. They will use the museum as a place to work together. They will meet at the Eva Caten Remington Education Center each Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon.