While at American University in Washington D.C., Darlene Bialowski simultaneously achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, concentrating in Archaeology and an Associate’s in the Administration of Criminal Justice taking classes at both Georgetown Law and George Washington University all while interning at Smithsonian museums hoping to go into the then non-existent investigative field of stolen art.

After college she graduated from the Paralegal Studies program at the University of NH going on to work at a States’s Attorney’s office in southern Vermont, developing and managing homicide trail files for several lawyers; then worked for a private practice attorney focusing on trusts and estates.

With these unique attributes, she returned to museum work as the sole Registrar for the Springfield Museums, handling the collections of four museums (five by the time she left) also coordinating the exhibitions at two Smith & Wesson facilities.

Darlene formed Darlene Bialowski Art Services in 2007 to offer her museum colleagues that “extra pair of experienced hands” from cataloging, inventorying, and collections storage projects to couriering and installing traveling exhibitions. Clients include museums, historical societies, corporations, artists and private collectors.

Continually in pursuit, she graduated from NYU’s Fine & Decorative Arts Appraisal Studies program a year earlier than most; then was accepted at the Winterthur Institute 2-week intensive program on Material Culture. Darlene is an Accredited Appraiser with the Appraisers Association of America.

Founding several cultural heritage preservation nonprofits and a member of many others, she works with historical societies, small museums and private collectors to assess their collections which very often include pieces of antique needlework.

As a young girl Darlene learned various needle arts from her Mother; some of her best memories are times they stitched or attended needlework events together. When not embroidering, she may be found at auctions and antique shops searching for antique samplers and needlework tools.