Karen Fisk, who was vice president of community investment and external affairs at Springfield Museums in Massachusetts, is the new executive director of The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, it was announced Tuesday. Fisk began her duties on Oct. 17.

“The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center’s innovative approach to historic house tours absolutely ignited my imagination when I took my first tour years ago,” Fisk said in a news release about her appointment. “I returned for many visits, each different thanks to the Center’s willingness to turn to the visitor to share personal insights. What a powerful way to say ‘what you think matters; let’s talk.’”

Fisk began her museum career after a career in publishing. In addition to her duties at the Springfield Museums, she directed the restoration of Dr. Seuss’s childhood home, which is on the museum complex grounds.

That summer 2017 restoration became mired in controversy. Three prominent children’s book authors, two of them Asian, complained that an element to the restored home’s mural reinforced racial stereotypes. It was a depiction of a Chinese character from “And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” with slit eyes, wearing a pointy hat and holding chopsticks. The museum redesigned and reinstalled the mural. The controversy revived a nationwide debate over the sometimes problematic racial depictions Seuss created over his lifetime. Along with the reinstalled mural, the museum also installed a panel, “Dr. Seuss in Historical Context,” to explains Seuss’ evolving racial attitudes.

At Springfield, Fisk focused on marginalized communities. Among her work was a Native Voices Initiative to celebrate Native peoples and present a fuller, more accurate portrayal of their past. She was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to establish a Native Voices Initiative. The National Federation for the Blind and the Massachusetts Cultural Council funded her drive to make the museums more accessible to those with blindness or low vision.

“We are so pleased that Karen has joined us,” said Dave Jenkins, chairman of the board of the Stowe House.

Fisk has a master’s degree in English literature from University of Michigan and bachelor’s degrees in art history and English from University of Rochester.

The house museum is at harrietbeecherstowecenter.org.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.