In this series, Young Artists Exhibitions Program Coordinator Jenna Kowalke-Jones profiles participants in the 2012 James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show. Join us for the Staff Show reception this evening, September 27, from 5:30 to 8 pm!
Meghan K. Schindler, Untitled, July 2012
Meghan K. Schindler lives in Alexandria, VA, with her pet fish Allistair and her roommate Chance. When she has the time, she enjoys sitting on her balcony reading chronicles from 11th and 12th centuries.
What do you do at The Phillips Collection? Are there any unique/interesting parts about your job that most people might not know about?
I am a museum supervisor in the security department, and I am in charge of the No Name No Nothing Gallery, which allows staff members to anonymously show and sell their artwork throughout the year.
Who is/are your favorite artist/artists in the collection?
It is a tie between Gustave Courbet and Georges Rouault. They both show tremendous skill and confidence in how they manipulate the paint across the canvas. I admire their ability to convey the object with very little structure.
What is your favorite gallery/space within The Phillips Collection?
The West parlor where I can sit and look at Gustave Courbet’s Rocks at Mouthier (c. 1855).
What would you like people to know about your artwork on view in the 2012 Staff Show (and/or your work in general)?
Drawing relaxes me; it is a form of stress release. I don’t usually start a drawing with a firm idea of where it is going. I start somewhere on the page and see what happens. Usually after about 1/4 of the page is covered I can see what is happening and will start to form more solid structures.
The 2012 James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show is on view through October 9, 2012. This year’s show features 35 artworks, in various media, all by Phillips Collection staff.
Jenna Kowalke-Jones, Young Artists Exhibitions Program Coordinator