Fletcher named as new director of Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
by May 24, 2021 8:49 pm 942 views
Quantia “Key” Fletcher has been named as the new director of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism announced Monday (May 24).
“Key has been on the ground floor of establishing and developing Mosaic Templars Cultural Center into the state-of-the-art, quality museum it is today,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the department. “She has the vision, understanding, enterprise, skill and professionalism to continue to nurture and grow the legacy of MTCC.”
Fletcher, who joined the museum prior to its opening in 2008, served as the museum’s deputy director for the past eight years. She has been an advocate for MTCC and Black history since before the museum opened and helped develop MTCC as the only state-funded Black history museum.
“Mosaic Templars Cultural Center’s mission is to preserve, celebrate and educate Arkansans about the rich culture, history and heritage of our state’s Black communities,” said Jimmy Bryant, director of the Division of Arkansas Heritage. “Key Fletcher has been instrumental in cultivating quality MTCC exhibitions and programs, including creating ‘COVID in Black,’ a program that collects artifacts related to the experiences of African Americans during the pandemic.”
Prior to joining the MTCC staff, Fletcher worked with the National Park Service. She played a critical role in helping prepare MTCC for its grand opening and in gaining national accreditation in 2020. She led education and outreach efforts before taking on the deputy director position.
Her appointment as director was effective May 20, 2021, at the salary of $62,531, and comes on the heels the opening of “The Negro Motorist Green Book” exhibition, which is the first traveling exhibition the museum has opened since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The story of the Mosaic Templars of America and other African Americans is a critical cornerstone to the broader history of Arkansas and the U.S.,” Fletcher said. “I am elated to lead this great museum and phenomenal team in continuing to share the history of Black Arkansans with our community and our country.”
The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a museum of Arkansas Heritage, is dedicated to preserving, interpreting and celebrating African American history and culture in Arkansas.