Natchitoches native Dr. Emily Bryant brings leadership, collections care, and storytelling experience to her new role as Branch Director of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum.
Bryant succeeds Jennae Biddiscombe, who held the position in the first 12 years of the existence of the Natchitoches museum. Biddiscombe has been promoted to Museum Division Director for the Louisiana State Museum system, directing the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge and supervising operations for LSM branch museums in Thibodaux, Patterson and Natchitoches.
Bryant is a 1992 graduate of Natchitoches Central High School, and the daughter of the esteemed late Northwestern State University art professor Dr. Bill Bryant and his wife, Alice, who resides in Natchitoches.
She joins the LSM staff, taking charge of her hometown museum, from a position as Collections Manager and Curator at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, and was previously associated with the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology in Bloomington, Indiana.
Bryant earned a doctoral degree in folklore from Indiana University in 2022, after previously receiving a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas (2001) and a bachelor of arts in anthropology in 1996 from the University of Southern Mississippi Honors College.
She spent a decade working in communications as a graphic designer, writer and editor in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, continuing this work in recent years for Traditional Arts Indiana and Mississippi Folklife.
“It feels wonderful to be home again,” said Bryant, “and to have the chance to give back to the community that inspired my career in the first place. I am fortunate to succeed Jennae Biddiscombe in my new role and to have the great benefit of her guidance, and the help of the wonderful staff at the museum along with our museum support organizations – the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, and FLASH (Friends of Louisiana Sports and History),” she said.
“Emily’s extensive experience in museum management and collections, and her skills in communication and collaboration, combine with her deep ties in Natchitoches to make her a fabulous choice to lead our museum,” said Doug Ireland, the chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and president of FLASH, the local support entity for the museum. “She has been extremely impressive throughout the search to replace Jennae, and in her first few days on board. We could not be more pleased to add her to the team in a leadership role.”
Bryant’s training in journalism and folklore has prepared her to uncover and present compelling narratives about people and place, ensuring that exhibitions, programs, and tours engage and resonate with a broad range of visitors.
During her seven years at the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, she served as Ethnographic Collections Manager. Bryant oversaw the care and movement of approximately 30,000 artifacts during a major renovation, supervised a part-time staff, mentored students, and collaborated closely with donors and visiting scholars.
She contributed to exhibition planning and community engagement initiatives, honing skills in both collections stewardship and public programming. These experiences demonstrated her ability to manage operations, lead a team, and foster community connections.
Bryant’s communication background positions her to contribute effectively to marketing, outreach, and programming. She has proven adept at working across teams and with community stakeholders to advance institutional goals.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum opened to worldwide acclaim in June 2013. It is housed in a 27,000-square foot, $23 million facility at 800 Front Street, at the traffic circle in the Natchitoches Historic District.
The museum is open to the public Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and offers special programming and events, along with rental opportunities.
