Alexandra Nasharr blends art, archives and community storytelling in Central Florida

Museum professional Alexandra Nasharr is using fine arts training and museum studies to preserve Central Florida history as Curator & Collections Specialist with the Osceola County Historical Society. Her work spans collections care, exhibitions and public education, including a sports exhibit that connected local athletics to broader community identity.

Why it matters: - Museum work shapes how communities understand their own history, and Alexandra Nasharr is focused on making that history accessible to Central Florida audiences. - Nasharr's approach combines collections care, exhibition design and public programming, which can broaden who engages with local heritage.

What happened: - Alexandra Nasharr serves as Curator & Collections Specialist with the Osceola County Historical Society in Kissimmee, Florida. - Influential Women recognized Nasharr in a profile highlighting her museum career and community-focused work. - Nasharr spent two years with Osceola History managing a collection that reflects the region from the mid-1800s through the 1930s.

The details: - Nasharr earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2012. - She worked for seven years in commercial and nonprofit art galleries in Chicago. - That gallery experience built skills in exhibition preparation, visitor engagement, visual presentation and interpretation. - After the COVID-19 pandemic, Nasharr returned to school for a master's degree in Museum Studies at Western Illinois University in Moline, Illinois. - She also served as a graduate assistant for two years during graduate school. - Her museum work includes collections management, research, interpretation, exhibition development and community education. - Nasharr's collection work covers Seminole artifacts, historic photographs, family documents, agricultural tools and other materials tied to Central Florida life. - She curates exhibitions, writes blogs and editorials on local families, and gives presentations for libraries and community organizations. - Nasharr also oversees interpretive work at Pioneer Village, a site of preserved historic structures. - She works with a small archival team to turn behind-the-scenes research into public-facing experiences. - One major project was "Out of the Park: Osceola County Sports," an exhibition about local athletic history from youth and high school sports to professional teams such as the Astros.

Between the lines: - Nasharr's path shows how skills from art galleries can transfer into museum curation and public history. - Her emphasis on materiality and visual storytelling reflects a curatorial style that treats objects as entry points into broader community narratives. - Her work with schoolchildren, veterans, families and other groups points to a museum strategy built around access, not just preservation. - She also credits professional networks and mentors, including Dr. Heidi Lung and Angela McCallaghan, with helping shape her career. - Membership in groups such as the Florida Alliance of Museums and the Iowa Museum Association has supported her professional growth. - Her involvement with Quad City Arts, Osceola Arts and Main Street programs expanded her focus on community preservation. - Nasharr is interested in serving on a local historic preservation board.

What's next: - Nasharr plans to keep building collections, exhibitions and programs that connect local residents to the region's history. - She is also focused on mentorship and professional development in the museum field. - For young women entering museums, Nasharr encourages starting with the subjects and institutions that genuinely inspire them and recognizing the value of their own experiences.

The bottom line: - Alexandra Nasharr is helping turn Central Florida history into something visitors can see, learn from and connect with in everyday life. - Her work shows how museums can preserve artifacts while also strengthening community identity and public understanding.

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