In Context

Get to know Master’s Program alumni in our new series Life After Graduate School. In this month’s feature, meet Alex Kermes, a Master’s program alum and Exhibitions Coordinator at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Why St. Thomas?

St. Thomas has a great reputation and I had some friends who attended and vouched for the school.

What was your favorite moment while a student at St. Thomas?

It’s hard to pick out a single moment that was my favorite since I experienced so many new and exciting topics. Each was a revelatory moment on its own. For instance, I spent more time being intimidated by Chinese art than interested in studying it. But to fulfill the non-Euro/American art requirement I took one of Dr. Kindall’s seminars, which focused on the theme of travel throughout the history of the Chinese artistic imagination. It  provided a unique point for me to access and learn in a personal way about a topic I knew nothing about.

What are you up to these days? How did you get to where you are?

Today I work for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, managing and developing exhibitions. The graduate art history program helped me develop a framework for understanding art exhibitions and how to reach art audiences in a variety of ways. My assistantships at St. Thomas gave me some hands-on experience implementing exhibitions. After graduate school I saw this type of project management first-hand at a small exhibition design company in Minneapolis.

How has the time you spent in our graduate program influenced your career and life?

When I started the graduate program, I was extremely unsure of my abilities and preparedness for that level of study. The more courses I took, the more I grew and gained a steady academic footing. Along the way as I tackled more challenging projects, I found encouragement and support from the faculty and fellow students around me. This underscored the importance of taking responsible risks as well as remaining constantly open to undertaking new, sometimes daunting opportunities.

Advice for new and current graduate students?

You’ve really got to keep an eye out for unique opportunities. Especially as a graduate student make sure to take even the most unconventional opportunities seriously. I always felt that my skillset didn’t line up with what anyone was looking for, but I was given a lot of chances by making myself available and expressing my interest in learning new things. As a result I learned how to be open to growth, in ways I never expected from the start of my graduate career.

Poppy Di Candeloro

Meet Master’s Program alumni in our series Life After Graduate School. In this month’s feature, get to know Poppy Di Candeloro, a graduate from our M.A. in Art History program, and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Why St. Thomas?

I chose St. Thomas for three reasons:

1. I thrive in smaller university settings with smaller class sizes.
2. I lived in Eau Claire, WI so it was important to find a relatively close university with an excellent M.A. program.
3. My friend Amy suggested I apply to St. Thomas and so I did.

While these decisions sound rather frivolous and less academic, I could not have asked for a better Art History Department than the one at St. Thomas. The professors are all top scholars in their field, they are easy to talk to and learn from, opportunity is abundant, the sense of belonging to a place is undeniable, and the students become more than just classmates. They become friends and colleagues.

What was your favorite moment while a student at St. Thomas?

I have lots of favorite moments at St. Thomas. Tracking down missing artwork, going on field trips, being the graduate representative, working with Christy, Shelly, Marria, and the other graduate assistants, co-hosting two graduate student research symposia, and attending the receptions after every event. But perhaps the most memorable of all of my favorite events was the night that I presented M.A. thesis research. Not because I was happy to be getting that out of the way (although true—whew!), but because the people that I had spent my M.A. journey with were all in one room at the same time. I could see each of the professors who had encouraged me to be my best and the students who had become friends and occasional roommates: Carin, Lauren, Theresa, and Marria—THANK YOU! That was definitely one of my favorite moments at St. Thomas. More precise though, every moment at St. Thomas was a favorite moment.

Freelance writer Anne Kniggendorf, left, explores the CGSC art and gift collection with reps from the Todd Weiner Gallery Aug. 15. From left, Kniggendorf, Meghan Dohogne, Poppy Di Candeloro, and Todd Weiner. (Photograph Courtesy of Reed Hoffman). *This photograph from the article entitled “At an Army Base in Kansas, There’s a Secret Collection of Incredible Finds” published in Smithsonian Magazine on September 14, 2017.

What are you up to these days? How did you get to where you are?

These days, I am writing my dissertation on Nuclear Aesthetics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I also teach Art History 110 online, Anchor 399 online and I serve as undergraduate advisor to art history and studio art students at UMKC.

In addition to my roles at UMKC, I have been working on a collaborative project with the Todd Weiner Gallery and the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth as an independent curator and researcher. The ultimate goal of this project is to archive, catalog, and make the collection available to the public on a searchable database.

I got to where I am today by accepting opportunities as they present themselves to me and through the support of my husband, my dog, my family, and my friends.

How has the time you spent in our graduate program influenced your career and life?

Where shall I begin? Throughout my academic career I have attempted to stay consistent with building a skillset that would be as complete as possible in terms of knowledge and hands-on experience. It could be better research skills, time management, or learning a new standard of archiving. I enjoy the academic side of art history, so researching, writing, and archiving, but I also enjoy the creative side of designing and curating exhibitions—telling stories through visual art. While at St. Thomas, I was fortunate enough to have assistantships throughout my entire education. I learned to curate, design, and exhibit art, while simultaneously learning to catalog and archive art collections. My gratitude to Shelly and Christy. What I do today—advise, teach, and archive and curate art collections—was refined while I worked on my M.A. at St. Thomas. I can remember sitting in the basement of the Art History house as I entered descriptions of art, thinking “I could do this for a career.” And I am!

Poppy Di Candeloro, an independent curator and researcher with the Todd Weiner Gallery, discusses one of the items on display. (Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. Mark H. Wiggins, U.S. Army, Ret. Communications Consultant: US Army Command and General Staff College Foundation). *This image can be found on our website.

Advice for new and current graduate students?

Three things:

1. Say yes to opportunities. Even if they seem way outside of your skillset or range of interest. The more skills you have, the more valuable you are to those around you.
2. Keep in contact with the people you meet in school, at events, or even on the airplane. They can be important! It is so easy to lose touch, but the people you meet may be the ones who get you the position you want at that museum, or might help get you into that PhD program.
3. Have a sense of humor and laugh. A lot. A sense of humor is very helpful. Best wishes!

Meet Master’s Program alumni in our biweekly series Life After Graduate School. In this month’s feature, get to know Gretchen Burau, a 2016 graduate from the M.A. in Art History program. Gretchen is currently an Adjunct Art History Instructor in the Department of Art History. 

Why St. Thomas?

I was looking into art history graduate programs and wanted to stay in Minnesota. Two options were available and the University of Minnesota required the GRE, which I hadn’t taken. I decided to visit St. Thomas and was given a tour by Dr. Victoria Young. She set up a meeting with graduate student Natalie McMonagle and I previewed a class. My experience so enjoyable that I decided to enroll at St. Thomas.

What was your favorite moment while a student at St. Thomas?

My favorite moment came after working at the American Museum of Asmat Art (AMAA). I was previously awarded an assistantship at the museum and was given the opportunity to curate an exhibition on Tobias Schneebaum, an artist and anthropologist that collected and commissioned works in Asmat during the 1970s. Later that semester, I was given a fellowship to research Schneebaum’s private journals at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While paging through his writings, I came across the Jamasj wuramon (soul ship), which is on permanent display at the AMAA Gallery in the Anderson Student Center. Here Schneebaum had not only drawn the soul ship, but also identified the figures by both their Asmat and supernatural names.

What are you up to these days? How did you get to where you are?

I feel fortunate to be teaching my third ARTH 110 class at the University of St. Thomas this spring, which encourages critical thinking and the examination of human diversity through visual art. I also teach Art Appreciation and PSEO courses for Crown College, which are delivered in a variety of formats: online, hybrid, and face-to-face.

In addition to teaching, I am a practicing artist and coordinator for the Flora and Fauna Illustrata (FFI) project. The mission of the University of Minnesota Landscape – Arboretum Andersen Horticultural Library FFI project is to document Arboretum plant and animal species through scientifically accurate fine art.

I got to this point in my life by working hard, taking advantage of opportunities, and connecting with other artists and art historians.

How has the time you spent in our graduate program influenced your career and life?

The graduate program made me a more confident researcher and presenter. During my time at St. Thomas, I stayed active outside the classroom by working at the AMAA, presenting papers, and traveling for research. These extra activities made it possible to develop relationships with scholars in the field — Asmat in this case — and discover original source material, which was used in my thesis as well as the construction of a journal article that will soon be submitted for publication.

Advice for new and current graduate students?

Take advantage of fellowships, assistantships and speaking opportunities. These will help you build a strong CV and give you real-world experience.

Nicole Watson, Director of The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, photo by Rebecca Slater, by Rebecca Studios.

Get to know Master’s Program alumni in our new series Life After Graduate School. In our first feature, meet Nicole Watson, a 2008 graduate from the M.A. in Art History program. Nicole is currently Director of The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN.

Why St. Thomas?

I completed my B.A. at St. Thomas in 2001, and I minored in art history. Based on my experience working with the department as an undergrad, I knew my graduate course work would be rigorous, rewarding and meaningful as well as valuable in preparing me for a career. I was also attracted by the opportunity to work with Dr. Shelly Nordtorp-Madson, who had been one of my mentors while I was an undergrad.

From a practical perspective, I was newly married when I started graduate school, and committed to remaining in the Twin Cities, so St. Thomas’ proximity to home, work and family was very appealing to me at the time.

What was your favorite moment while a student at St. Thomas?

This is a hard question for me to answer succinctly because I can think of so many great experiences I had during my time at St. Thomas! Favorites include a road trip to Chicago with Dr. Victoria Young and our Midwestern Architecture class. We enjoyed a stop in Rockford, Illinois to see the kinetic architecture of the Starlight Theater; an architectural walking tour of historic skyscrapers in downtown Chicago; and the many works of Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park, Illinois. One of my favorite classes — which addressed the portrayal of medieval history in film — was taught by Shelly, and expanded my understanding of art history’s role in critical analysis of imagery across art forms. I’m also proud of the work I did for my qualifying paper (primary research on Marion Alice Parker, a local female Prairie School architect), and I feel incredibly grateful that St. Thomas connected me with Jennifer Komar-Olivarez, an expert on Prairie School design, who supported me in this important research. While all these “moments” made grad school gratifying, the most fulfilling aspect was the incredible network of friends and colleagues I discovered during my years of study.

Nicole Watson working with St. Catherine University’s Fine Art Collection, photo by Rebecca Slater, by Rebecca Studios.

What are you up to these days? How did you get to where you are?

I’m currently the new Director of The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine University. Prior to this role, I managed Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis, a job I began just a few months after completing my master’s degree at St. Thomas. Before grad school, I’d never really given much thought to gallery work — I thought I’d end up teaching or try to find work in a museum. When I was getting ready to graduate, I emailed everyone I knew to let them know I was looking for an arts-related position and a month later, I found myself interviewing for a position at Groveland. I was there for nearly eight years, and in that time, l learned every aspect of running a commercial gallery, from planning and installing exhibitions to writing PR, artwork handling, collection maintenance, budget management and events coordination. I employ all these skills at St. Kate’s, too, though my responsibilities are a bit broader here. In addition to running the gallery, I’m one of the curators and caretakers of the University’s Fine Art Collection; I foster and grow our Friends of the Gallery group, who provide additional financial support for exhibitions, events and students; and every spring, I team-teach a professional practices class for our graduating senior studio art majors. I lead them through the process of installing their exhibition, a process that is immensely rewarding.

How has the time you spent in our graduate program influenced your career and life?

The program certainly made my life richer through scholarship, expanding my network of colleagues and honing my writing, research and critical thinking skills. I became comfortable presenting my work in front of large groups of people, and I learned how to distill information to make it more accessible to others. All of these experiences prepared me for the work I do now.

Nicole Watson stands among artist Kate Vinson’s installation, Gut Reaction. Photo by Rebecca Slater, By Rebecca Studios.

Advice for new and current graduate students?

Grow your network. Graduate school is an opportunity to develop relationships with the people who will become your professional colleagues. It’s also the perfect time to explore career paths through internships or informational interviews. Want to work in a museum? Request an a meeting with a curator, a project assistant or someone in the education department. Curious about teaching? Sit-in on a few classes taught by art history professors at other universities. Finally, if you have the ability to travel to a conference to present your research, do it — you’ll meet scholars from other cities and learn about their work. Your network will keep you in mind for employment opportunities, write recommendations for you, seek you out for collaboration and possibly hire you someday.