Meet the Lyme Art Association Staff
Elsbeth Dowd
Executive Director
On July 1, 2022, Elsbeth Dowd succeeded Laurie Pavlos as Lyme Art Association’s Executive Director. The Lyme Art Association had the good fortune to have a very qualified and able successor to Laurie already on staff because for the previous two years, Elsbeth served as LAA’s Development Director.
Upon joining the Association staff in early 2019, Elsbeth wasted no time in enhancing its communications, starting with social media, and working with Laurie to help its broader community become more familiar with LAA as an organization, its mission, and to continue to build relationships with community partners, sponsors, members, and donors.
Prior to joining the Lyme Art Association, Elsbeth was the Executive Director of the Oysterponds Historical Society in Orient, New York, and before that was Museum Registrar at the Sam Noble Museum in Oklahoma. Elsbeth received her bachelor’s degree in art and archaeology from Princeton University and her doctoral degree in anthropology from the University of Oklahoma.
Paul Michael
Gallery Director & Curator
Paul Michael is the gallery director and curator of the Lyme Art Association and an adjunct professor with experience in art handling across various institutions. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Lyme Academy, where he received the Chandler Scholarship. Michael holds a Master of Fine Arts along with a Graduate Certificate in Arts Administration from the University of Connecticut.
Recent exhibitions include Millennial Pause at Pegasus Gallery, the Hudson Valley Art Association’s 91st Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Heads/Tails at Atlantic Gallery, and Froth at Jill Krutick Fine Art. His work has also been featured in institutions such as the William Benton Museum, Newport Art Museum, and CICA Museum in South Korea.
Learn more about Paul Michael.
Jolie Collins
Communications Manager
Jolie grew up and worked in Wisconsin before moving to the East Coast. Jolie enjoys working as a Communications Manager because it allows her to use the skills gained from her experiences working as a registrar and webmaster along with using her creativity and people skills to promote LAA’s beautiful art. Jolie is also an artist who paints colorful non-representational acrylic abstracts along with making portraits and other works with oil pastels or with gouache.
Learn more about Jolie Collins.
Sara Drought Nebel
Gallery Associate
Sara has been a part of LAA’s staff since…. In addition to serving gallery visitors and helping LAA’s membership with a warm smile, Sara is a talented artist and writer. She is one of Lyme Art Association’s esteemed Elected Artists and uses her writing skills as a writer for the shoreline publication, INK magazine.
Learn more about Sara Drought Nebel.
Sarah Kentoffio
Gallery Assistant
Sarah is LAA’s gallery assistant and is also a graduate of the Lyme Academy of Fine Art.
Franceska "Franki" Nebel
Development Assistant
Franki works in LAA’s development department along with handling member managment and helps coordinating the Midsummer Festival. Additionally, she helps with videotaping LAA events.