Erin Anderson Bio

Erin Anderson is the new Executive Director of the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame on the campus of New Mexico Junior College.  She has worked at the Museum for 11 years as Museum Curator.

Erin received her Bachelors of Arts in History from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL, in 2005.  She also graduated with minors in Anthropology and The Classics, and a certificate in Medieval Studies.  She went on to receive her Masters of Arts in Museum Science from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, in 2008.  During college and graduate school, Erin volunteered and worked in a number of museums:  Anthropology Museum at NIU, Museum of Texas Tech University, National Ranching Heritage Center, Lubbock Lake Landmark, and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

Growing up near Chicago, IL allowed Erin the opportunity to visit some of the best museums in the country.  It was here that her love of museums began.  Researching history had always been a passion for Erin, but seeing the actual objects from history brought everything into a whole new light.  Erin knew she would pursue a career in museums during a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry in 2000 while walking through the traveling exhibition, Titanic: The Exhibition, from RMS Titanic, Inc.  Erin looked not at the artifacts, but at the exhibit as a whole and said “I can do this.”  While Museum Curator at the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame, Erin looked around the Museum in 2016 during Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, from Premier Exhibitions (formally RMS Titanic, Inc) and said “I did do this.” 

Erin has lived in Hobbs, NM for 11 years and considers it home.  She is a part of the Community Players of Hobbs and New Antiquities Theatre Company where she has been an actor, costumer, stage manager, usher, and assistant director.  She is a founding member of the award winning a cappella group, Accidental Harmony.  She also serves on the board of the Southwest Symphony. Erin is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, the Mountain Plains Museum Association, the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries, and the New Mexico Association of Museums where she has served on the board.  As Executive Director she hopes to bring her love of history and museums to Hobbs with world-class traveling exhibits and fun and educational permanent exhibits about Southeastern New Mexico.