Kendall Quirk, AMA Registrar & Director of Exhibitions, has been named one of her alma mater’s 2022 “18 Under 40” alumni. Every year, Southwestern University recognizes a select group of young alumni with this award for their “significant contributions to their professions and/or communities.” We’re so proud of Kendall, but honestly, it’s no surprise to us that she was chosen for this honor! On the occasion of her well-deserved recognition, we asked Kendall to tell us a little about a day in her life at the Arlington Museum of Art.
When we have an exhibition in our galleries, the Arlington Museum of Art is open from 10am – 5pm from Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5pm on Sunday, and no two days are the same.
When I started working at the AMA (after years of volunteering) in June 2019, it took a little time to figure out my role in supporting all the museum’s inner workings. Questions ranged from “What do all of our secret closets hold?” to “What grants do we apply for?” to “How do I change the toilet paper?” After almost three years, I’m confident that I can answer those questions, and more. I’ve worked out my strengths and weaknesses in the organization and have found that I’m very organized, think long-term, and have an eye for detail. My role as Registrar & Director of Exhibitions plays to my strengths and deep love of art.
All days, though none are the same, start with coffee.
Because the Arlington Museum of Art focuses on hosting several exhibitions in one year rather than acquiring a collection that never changes, my role as Director of Exhibitions begins by building relationships with private art collectors, exhibition directors, and art representatives from all over the world. Our President & CEO Chris Hightower, the entire staff, our board members and I are always looking for the next great idea for an exhibition that speaks to our mission of championing creativity and providing access to art for everyone in our community.
Once we’ve solidified an exhibition partner, my days are filled with checklists, working out loan paperwork, picking paint colors for gallery walls, scheduling transportation of artwork, and researching artists and collections for future exhibitions. We plan a few years in advance, so I’m often working on an exhibition calendar that is 3-4 years in the future (no, I can’t share any spoilers!) After answering many emails, I’m able to work on picking out items to stock our gift shop or sorting through our art storage space or any number of long-term projects.
During our “dark” times (aka when the AMA is closed to the public because we’re switching from one exhibition to the next), we are at our busiest and my position is in full swing. We’re often working with contractors to build walls, paint, and black out windows. Priceless works of art often arrive in a large 18-wheeler truck, and it takes a team of people to unload over the course of many hours. You can find me standing at the entrance to our building with a packing list in-hand to ensure all pieces arrive safely.
After the art arrives, we allow it to acclimate in our building for two to three days before installation. Depending on the exhibition, installation can take a few hours or a few weeks and often requires all-hands-on-deck. Once the art is hung or set in place, we complete a number of finishing touches including lighting, labels, and music.
Months to year go into planning major art exhibitions, down to the final details. And the moment an exhibition closes, we carefully pack it up, ship it back to its home, and start preparing our galleries for the next one.
If you ever step into our office, you’ll find a long to-do list on my desk. Most are things like “email Amy about ____ exhibition information,” but sometimes you’ll find a surreal bullet pointed item on there (which you’ll find out about in a few years). My job allows me to interact with people who believe, like we do, that art should be accessible to all and that a diversity of artists’ voices should be heard. I spend every day trying to fulfill that belief by bringing world-renowned, national, and local artists to our community. I meet people from all over the world who become part of our AMA family in one way or another, and I’m excited to help the family grow even larger in the coming years. — Kendall B. Quirk
Kendall:
Congratulations! Well done and the perfect award for you! Your job description is so unusual and you have created that job to exactly fit into AMA. You have greatly empowered Arlington Museum Of Art. Thank you!!!