Ellen Owens, director of Niagara University’s Castellani Art Museum, has been named to the board of directors of the Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House for a three-year term. The six-building estate, complete with an integrated landscape spanning the 1.5-acre grounds, is considered the architect’s most important commission early in his illustrious career.
"I am thrilled to lend my support to a well-respected arts organization that has gone through transformational physical changes in the last decade,” Owens said. “I look forward to sharing my experiences in museums and community outreach in my board role and also providing connections between Buffalo and the Niagara University campus.”
Owens, an artist, educator, and arts administrator, has served as director of the Castellani Art Museum since November 2021, providing dynamic leadership for the museum, which has a permanent collection that includes more than 5,000 pieces of primarily modern and contemporary art. She came to Niagara from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the largest university museum in the U.S., where she was part of its executive leadership team. Owens holds a master of arts degree in museum education from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia; and bachelor of science in art education and bachelor of fine arts degrees from Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa.
The Martin House, nestled in the historic Parkside neighborhood of Buffalo, N.Y., stands as a compelling symbol of civic identity and cultural pride. It is a National Historic Landmark and a premier heritage destination within New York state’s network of historic sites.