by Kendall Quirk, AMA Registrar & Director of Exhibitions
Paideia is an educational concept I learned when attending Southwestern University as an undergrad. The university’s philosophy of instilling this type of integrated, interdisciplinary approach to learning changed my world view on how subjects are all interconnected. Students often joked about having a “paideia moment” when classes became related by topics, readings, or concepts.
The Arlington Museum of Art’s first exhibition in its new building is Pompeii: The Immortal City, an experience that wholly encompasses the concept of paideia, which is fitting since the philosophy developed in Greco-Roman times.
In 2021, the team at the AMA set out to find an exhibition that would open our doors. “It has to be huge!” we said, “It has to make an impact on everyone who visits.” Pompeii: The Immortal City popped up over and over as a possibility because of its interdisciplinary approach to a monumental event in Roman history. Art tells stories of individuals and cultures, and this exhibition fit that criteria perfectly.
If you’ve ever been to the Pompeii archaeological site just outside of Naples, you’ll know that the ongoing excavations of the ancient city have uncovered more than art and artifacts: they are revealing stories of real people: their daily lives, their homes, their art, their culture. Walking through the homes of the people who experienced the eruption is eerie, looking at their belongings as they were on the day Mount Vesuvius erupted. The exhibition is equally special, powerful, and full of meaning.
While Pompeii: The Immortal City will occupy what we’re calling the “traditional” art gallery in our new space, the exhibition is anything but traditional. In addition to over 100 authentic artifacts and artworks from the Pompeii excavation site, you’ll experience incredible immersive sequences, 3D representations of the city at the time of the volcanic eruption, recreations of inventions from ancient Rome, and other interactive experiences.
When the AMA approached the idea of establishing a second gallery—an immersive art gallery—in our new building, we considered the many possibilities that could take place in such a large, vast space. We knew we wanted to take on the challenge by working with artists who create art intentionally for immersive purposes. Our first immersive exhibition, One Point Five Degrees, is one of many projects we’ve been excited to work on. Both artists featured in the exhibition, Adam Fung and Sabrina Ratté, represent new possibilities in art that are also interdisciplinary, using technology, art, and science to bring new perspectives on a shared theme: global climate change.
By interconnecting art, science, anthropology, archaeology, technology, and so many other disciplines, our visitors will experience a new kind of approach to museums. One where we stretch the boundaries of art to help you experience your own “paideia moments.”
Beyond Pompeii: The Immortal City, we hope our members and visitors are excited, and even surprised, by the exhibitions we have planned for the New AMA. One of my favorite things to see is the reaction of friends and family when I tell them about our upcoming plans. There’s nothing we love more than when AMA visitors love what they’ve experienced.
I’m going to be so excited to welcome everyone to our new building on March 30, 2024!
It will take 23 days to install Pompeii: The Immortal City. It will take months to prepare the building for our grand opening, and that work has already begun. Prior to that, it took time to envision a new museum location, made possible by our incredible partnerships with the City of Arlington, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation, and many donors, members, and friends. Prior to that, it took years if not decades to build our successful exhibition track record, one that has been nurtured and supported by our amazing community.
It’s been a long time coming, and we hope you’ll join us in this new chapter.
Registrar & Director of Exhibitions Kendall Quirk started working at the Arlington Museum of Art in June 2019 after years of volunteering. Today, she and the entire AMA team are on the threshold of something rare: a completely new beginning. As the Arlington Museum of Art prepares to move into a space several times its current size, multiplying its creative capabilities and capacity, Kendall shares her thoughts on the very first exhibitions being planned for the grand opening of the New AMA.
