Collections and Exhibitions: Curator

[Mary Agnes]

Headline: Collections and Exhibitions: Curator
Name: Mary Agnes Beach
Email Address: Maryagnes1907@yahoo.com
Current Location: Miami, Florida, USA

Education:
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY DeKalb, Illinois
1992 Master of Arts in Art History, with full scholarship

BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY Binghamton, New York
1986 Bachelor of Arts in Art History, with Honors

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION:

 Duke University, Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management, 2001 to 2002
 Southeast Museums Conference, Jekyll Island Management Institute, 2000 (scholarship recipient)
 Valencia Community College, College Level Teaching Core, 1998
 Williamstown Regional Art Conservation Lab, Conservation for Museum Professionals, 1988
 Smithsonian Institution, Office of Museum Programs, Museum Registration Methods , 1987
 Smithsonian Institution, Office of Museum Programs, Collections Management, 1986

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

 American Association of Museums
 Gold Coast Archivists
 Miami Archivists
 Attendance at annual meetings for AAM, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, American Association of State and Local History, New York State Council for the Arts, North Carolina Museums Association, Florida Association of Museums

Professional Experience:
PROFILE: Results-driven, focused and conscientious museum professional with excellent management and curatorial abilities, and a background that includes oversight of approximately 150 exhibitions in a wide range of periods, cultures, mediums, and styles. Articulate communicator with dedication that ensures consistent, quality efforts. Creative and enthusiastic trainer, recruiter and supervisor of professional staff, volunteers and interns, with a strong work ethic fueled by respect for best practices and a personal commitment to excellence.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY:

2003 to 2008 CITY OF CORAL GABLES Coral Gables, Florida
Museum Curator
 Oversee Museum Division, organization of programming and management of collections for historic house museum, as well as extensive consultation for an emerging general museum.
 Direct refurbishment and reinterpretation of historic home of the City’s unique founder.
 Recruit, train and supervise volunteer docents; create accession files for historic collection; write exhibition didactics; conceive and prepare brochure outlines and publicly represent the City’s Museum Division.
 Serve as secretary for the Coral Gables Museum Board of Directors and the Coral Gables Merrick House Governing Board.
 Conduct periodic divisional analyses, providing superiors with sound bases for policy; conduct collections analyses, providing foundation concepts from which programming, education, and interpretation stem.
 Successfully re-established satellite office and collections processing area at historic site.

1999 to 2003 HICKORY MUSEUM OF ART Hickory, North Carolina
Curator
 Planned exhibitions for five galleries in a collecting American Art Museum, producing 42 exhibitions in all art media, both historic and contemporary.
 Curated the traveling exhibition of American Art Pottery for Smith Kramer.
 Provided scholarly leadership for museum-wide programming; wrote didactics for all exhibits, newsletter articles, lectures and tours; cultivated donors; built effective relationships with artists, museum members, board of trustees, and local community.

1998 POLK MUSEUM OF ART Lakeland, Florida
Curator of Exhibitions
 Planned three years of exhibitions for four changing galleries, staging exhibits in temporary gallery spaces, offices, an entrance hall, sculpture courtyard, and permanent pre-Columbian galleries.
 Collaborated with artists, staff, and museum professionals to execute temporary exhibits and to add to the permanent collection.
 Coordinated training and exhibition-related program planning with education staff.
 Wrote exhibition didactics, newsletter articles, and curatorial concept essays for approximately 30 exhibitions; wrote and delivered lectures for board of directors and docents.

VALENCIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Orlando, Florida
Adjunct Professor of Art History
 Taught art history survey (Renaissance through contemporary art); coordinated field trips, films, and tutoring.

1997 to 1998 MAITLAND ART CENTER Maitland, Florida
Collections Manager
 Revamped traveling exhibition service, applying standards of top-level lenders and traveling services.
 Improved crate conditions, shipping standards, environmental and security conditions for storage of art and artifacts used in exhibition service.
 Created condition books, contracts, and exhibit documents commensurate with national-level exhibition services.
 Positioned organization for AAM accreditation.

1993 to 1995 PHILHARMONIC CENTER FOR THE ARTS Naples, Florida
Assistant Curator
 Produced changing exhibitions in a series of contemporary galleries and sculpture courtyards, coordinating artists’ visits and multi-media presentations.
 Administratively supported part-time curator.

1990 ELLWOOD HOUSE MUSEUM DeKalb, Illinois
Collections Consultant
 Created collections management system and consulted on safe handling and storage for artifacts including a special costume collection.

1986 to 1989 ARNOT ART MUSEUM Elmira, New York
Registrar
 Managed 1200-object art collection of historical and contemporary art, both two- and three-dimensional.
 Organized two national traveling exhibits and hosted temporary exhibits in series of contemporary galleries.