Her Story
About Samantha
Samantha Aguilar serves as Director of Exhibitions and Adult Programs at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, located just northwest of Houston, Texas. In this role at the small nonprofit museum that welcomes about 35,000 visitors annually, she develops unique exhibitions every three months, works directly with artists and curators, leads tours, manages budgets and grants, and oversees the museum newsletter. She earned her bachelor's degree in anthropology from Augusta University in Georgia and her master's degree in museum studies from Johns Hopkins. Prior to entering the museum field three years ago, she served six years in active duty Air Force and four years with the Georgia Air Guard as a linguist. Her passion for museums stems from volunteering in her hometown museum where her parents still work. She attributes her success to her supportive family and the genuine connections she has built with professors, supervisors, and mentors throughout her career. Aguilar takes pride in curating accessible exhibitions, including a fully touch-based show developed with a blind consultant to allow visitors of all abilities to engage with art through touch and interaction.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Samantha
01What do you attribute your success to?
Definitely my family is a huge one. Having a supportive family goes a long way, and then the connections along the way. I am just such a huge supporter of building those genuine, strong connections with people along the way because they really do help you. My professors, my supervisors and internships, these are all the people that I continue to go back to and ask for letters of recommendations and advice on career moves, and they were always there for me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be tenacious, don't stop. Even when starting out, getting through education while having a full-time job unrelated to museums, starting a young family, I found every opportunity to get my feet in a museum by volunteering without pay to gain hands-on experience. You just find your spot, keep active at it, and make the connections because connections go a long way.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include funding for nonprofits, drafting grant applications, and balancing budgets year to year while keeping the community and donors happy. Opportunities involve growing diversity of exhibitions, serving everybody since art is for everybody, being more accessible, sharing diverse stories, and becoming a necessary pillar in the community.
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