Museum Education Division Column: Summer 2023

Reflecting and Visioning

It was a pleasure to see so many friends and connect with new colleagues in San Antonio. Thank you all for your thoughtful conversations! This time of year offers both a chance to reflect and to look forward; it is a time of transition and growth. As the weather warms, and we look toward what’s ahead, I am honored to be part of our collective work in art museums.

Congratulations to our colleagues who received division awards at the convention:

Pacific: Katie Seastrand, manager of school and teacher programs, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Eastern: Adam Rizzo, coordinator of college and pre-professional programs and museum educator, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Southeastern Region: Kathy Dumlao, director of education and interpretation, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
National Award: Miriam Machado, director of education, Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University

I’m excited to see how some of our core initiatives continue to address our roles as museum educators in the ever evolving landscape of museums, including Viewfinder. Daniela Fifi, Hanna Heller, and Sierra Van Ryck DeGroot have been tirelessly working as the editorial board for Viewfinder.

Daniela is an art educator and curator who has worked in museums and galleries in the Caribbean and the United States. She is a cultural research consultant at the Brooklyn Arts Council. In her spare time, Daniela enjoys listening to music and being in nature.

Hannah is a Philly-based museum researcher, consultant, and educator. Her research focuses on blending object-based and antiracist pedagogies, as well as exposing impacts of Whiteness in gallery teaching practices.

Sierra is the assistant director of education at Poster House in NYC. She is also a co-president of the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network. In her free time, Sierra can be found reading, visiting a museum, or eating at an NYC Dig Inn.

Get to know the Regional Directors, who comprise the Museum Education Development Committee.

Ah-Young Kim, associate director of interpretive programs at the Penn Museum; Eastern Regional Director: “I am excited to work on designing new gallery lessons to engage K–2 students and developing fun, self-guided touring tools for teens and young adults at the Penn Museum. I would love to participate in more Peer2Peer sessions and find topics and colleagues to propose a session for next year’s NAEA Convention.”

Kate McLeod, head of school and teacher services, High Museum of Art; Southeastern Regional Director: “HAPPY JOYLANTA! The High Museum is opening an immersive outdoors exhibition by designer Tanya Aquiñiga in May, and it will run through the end of November. Our outdoor piazza space will be given a colorful canopy of papel picados, created in collaboration during workshops with the artist and a few of our community partners, such as the Global Village Project. The space will be activated with school and public programming in the summer and fall. I’m so excited to see this project realized! I’m also jazzed for our upcoming Peer2Peer monthly sessions—we have some good ones coming up!”

Alli Rogers Andreen, manager of family programs, Amon Carter Museum of American Art; Western Regional Director: “I’m looking forward to planning more fun, kooky, enriching family programs at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, including recorded interviews with living artists alongside my esteemed colleague Prickles the Jackalope. It’s an honor to serve on DevCom and see all the exciting conversations happening in Peer2Peer, Viewfinder, and heading into the next conference season. So much to be excited about!”

Anna Allegro, associate director of education, Seattle Art Museum; Pacific Regional Director: “Next year, Seattle Art Museum is expanding our reach to families by partnering with a range of local organizations, from Refugee Women’s Alliance to Head Start programs, to offer programming on- and off-site. A great opportunity to deepen our impact! On the NAEA side, I look forward to more connection to colleagues. Whether discussing early learners or online school tour booking, I have learned so much.”

And it’s with great excitement that we welcome Kathy Dumlao as Division Director-Elect! “I’m really excited about finalizing designs for the education spaces in the new Brooks Museum of Art being built on the downtown Memphis riverfront. I’m also thrilled to be working with Jenn Beradino and the Museum Division Development Committee to plan for the 2024 NAEA Museum Division Preconvention in Minneapolis.”

I hope spring brings a renewed sense of connection to what you see as your core values!

[[image "Progress Not Perfection Preconvention breakout session. Permission to use this image granted by McNay Museum."]]

Column by:

Jennifer Beradino, Division Director
Senior Manager, Object-Based Learning, Department of Learning and Interpretation, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX. Email: jberadino@mfah.org

Elect: Kathy Dumlao, Director of Education & Interpretation, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN.

Regional Directors:
Eastern: Ah-Young Kim, aykim72@upenn.edu
Southeastern: Kate McLeod, kate.mcleod@high.org
Western: Alli Rogers Andreen, allira@cartermuseum.org
Pacific: Anna Allegro, anna@seattleartmuseum.org