Osceola County curator Alexandra Nasharr recognized by Influential Women

Alexandra Nasharr, curator and collections specialist with the Osceola County Historical Society, is being recognized by Influential Women for her work preserving Central Florida history through exhibits, collections, and community education. Her profile highlights a museum career shaped by fine arts training, museum studies, and hands-on local preservation work.

Why it matters: - Alexandra Nasharr’s work helps preserve Central Florida’s history for public education and community use. - Her role connects museum collections, exhibitions, and local storytelling in a region where historic interpretation depends on careful object care and public engagement. - The recognition from Influential Women spotlights women working in cultural heritage and museum leadership.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Alexandra Nasharr as a curator and collections specialist with the Osceola County Historical Society in Kissimmee, Florida. - Nasharr’s profile highlights her work preserving, interpreting, and sharing Central Florida history through collections management, exhibition development, research, and community education. - Nasharr completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2012. - She later earned a master’s degree in Museum Studies at Western Illinois University in Moline, Illinois. - Nasharr spent seven years working in commercial and nonprofit art galleries in Chicago before returning to graduate school. - She has worked with Osceola History for two years.

The details: - Nasharr manages a collection covering the region’s history from the mid-1800s through the 1930s. - The collection includes Seminole artifacts, historic photographs, family documents, agricultural tools, and other objects tied to Central Florida communities. - Her duties include exhibition curation, blog and editorial writing, public presentations for libraries and community groups, and interpretive work at Pioneer Village. - Pioneer Village includes preserved historic structures that give visitors a direct connection to the area’s past. - Nasharr also worked as a graduate assistant for two years during her master’s program. - Her background in art galleries gave her experience in exhibition preparation, visitor engagement, visual presentation, and interpretation of artistic works. - She uses her fine arts training to focus on materiality and visual storytelling in exhibit design. - Nasharr has worked with audiences including schoolchildren, veterans, families, and other community members. - One of her notable projects was the sports exhibition “Out of the Park: Osceola County Sports.” - The exhibit covered local athletic history from youth and high school programs to professional organizations such as the Astros. - Nasharr is active with the Florida Alliance of Museums and the Iowa Museum Association. - Her community involvement has also included Quad City Arts, Osceola Arts, and Main Street programs. - Nasharr has said she is interested in continuing her service to the field through a local historic preservation board. - Her mentor at Western Illinois University was Dr. Heidi Lung, program director of the Museum Studies program. - Nasharr also credited Angela McCallaghan for support during her time at Western Illinois University. - The Influential Women profile includes a link to Alexandra Nasharr’s profile.

Between the lines: - Nasharr’s career path shows how skills from art galleries can transfer into museum work, especially in exhibit design and public interpretation. - The profile frames museums as community spaces, not just storage sites for artifacts. - Her emphasis on feedback, collaboration, and professional networks reflects how museum careers often advance through peer support and shared resources. - The sports exhibit suggests that local athletics can be used as a bridge between cultural memory and broader community identity.

What's next: - Nasharr plans to keep building her museum career through collections care, exhibition planning, and community engagement. - She also wants to stay involved in historic preservation at the local level. - Her profile points to continued mentorship and professional development as part of her long-term approach.

The bottom line: - Alexandra Nasharr’s recognition centers on a museum career that blends art, scholarship, and public history to make local heritage more accessible.