What inspires me

While I’m a lifelong fan of museums of all shapes and sizes, my heart lies with art museums in particular. I’m inspired by artists and makers who create works of art, whether visual, written, or performative. As an art historian and curator, I’m constantly struck by new artistic techniques and meanings, both historically and now. Art is one of the few universal forms of human expression and communication. Art existed before text; there are cultures in history that can only be understood by analyzing the art objects left behind, produced for both form and function. Everyone has the capacity to create—and inspire.

Background

Museums have always been spaces of learning and solace for me. While earning my undergraduate degree in Art History at the University of Oklahoma, I landed an amazing role working between the School of Art, art media library, and Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. I knew what I wanted to do with my life early on and was fortunate enough to pursue it.

I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of museums and education. While working toward my master’s and then PhD in art history at the University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design, I also taught classes at Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, and Cornish College of the Arts. At the same time, I took as many museum jobs as I could while balancing teaching, research, and writing, mostly serving in curatorial and collections roles at the Henry Art Gallery, Museum of Pop Culture, and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.

Before joining the faculty at UW, I worked as the Associate Curator at Bellevue Arts Museum, a local institution that focuses on modern and contemporary Pacific Northwest artists, designers, and craftspeople.

Specializations

My areas of specialization include curation, collections, and museum history. My art historical background comprises early modern art and craft, with a particular focus on fashion history and gender studies.