Her Story
About Joanna
I've been in my field since 2016-2017, starting as an undergraduate student in roles as a student employee at my institution's visual resources library, as well as through internships at the Paul Krasner House and the Minnesota Children's Museum, so around 8 or 9 years total. I initially thought my professional interests would align more closely with art history - I was always interested in analyzing history through a visual arts lens and have always been compelled by the narratives of art history. As a visual artist myself, I've really loved learning about how artists' technical choices have informed the content of their work. As an undergraduate student, I discovered that I was more interested in art history's public-facing applications. I was also at one point interested in becoming an arts educator or an English teacher, working more in a classroom setting. As I continued my studies, I realized that my interests aligned more closely with museums than either in academia or in a classroom setting, particularly in public-facing roles like museum education, public programming, and event coordination. This led me to pursue my master's degree in museum studies, which I earned from NYU in 2022. Beyond my museum work, I continue to maintain a practice as an arts writer and film critic. I've been writing for arts and film for 3 years now, and I'm very grateful to have been featured in publications like The Brooklyn Rail, which covers museums, galleries, film, theater, architecture, critical theory, and poetry, as well as other publications including Tuffle Magazine, Art Spiel, and Impulse Magazine. One of my mentors, Jack Flam, who was the president of the Daedalus Foundation, gave me my first opportunity to write a formal research paper about art history as a high school student, and he got me connected with The Brooklyn Rail. I first started writing exhibition reviews for the publication, and then realized I was also interested in writing about film, so I was able to get connections with the film editorial team and have written film reviews for them as well.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Joanna
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the investment of many wonderful mentors and people in this field who recognized my potential and my passion and abilities, and who encouraged my exploration of different channels within this field. That includes front of house service, arts writing, museum program development, and administrative work. I would not be where I am today without the support of my professors, my academic mentors, my supervisors, and those who have given me these professional opportunities to learn and grow, as well as, of course, my family and friends.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice that I've received is something that I received as an art student, and I think it's applicable to many fields, particularly just in an age of comparison: the only person that you should compare yourself to is yourself. I think that's great advice from an art perspective, as you look back at your previous work that you had made and realize ways in which your eye has grown stronger, that your style has become more defined. You can apply that to your professional development as well, looking back at the many roles that I've had during my time in this industry, and looking and taking stock of the responsibilities that I've accumulated, the ways that I have grown as a museum professional. Everything that I have learned, both personally and professionally from these experiences, has given me a lot of perspective and has reinforced my beliefs in myself. That has been the most valuable piece of advice that I've received, and that's advice that I would like to share in return.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would reiterate comparing yourself to yourself, as well as reminding yourself that every person in a position of leadership, every mentor, every person that you've encountered in this field who has been in this field for a while, has been in the exact position that you are currently, if you are in the process of amassing more experience in this industry. We are all united by our dedication to art and to museums, and we all want the next cohort of people entering this industry to succeed and to grow. It doesn't seem that way because a lot of these processes of applying to these roles are behind an automated wall of an application process, but behind those applications is an industry of very supportive people. Reaching out beyond those walls of the application and finding networking opportunities really helps gain that perspective and reminder that everybody in this industry wants you to succeed as much as you want it for yourself.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say channeling the elements of our lives that are most important to us in our work. In my case, it's the arts, and it's a privilege to be working a full-time position in something that is very meaningful to me, and to get to work at an institution whose mission aligns with my values. I highly value multidisciplinary thinking and approaches to creative problem solving, and embracing a diversity of opinion and background, and incorporating many different disciplines in one's practice. There's almost never one way to approach a challenge or to create something new, and embracing the opportunity to incorporate many different viewpoints is also something that I highly value. I also value investments in emerging potential.
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