Art history student Leah Mackall worked on "Artist Interview" project for the Baltimore Museum of Art

In the summer of 2024, M.A. student Leah Mackall was one of two graduate students selected to work on the Baltimore Museum of Art’s ongoing “Artist Interview” project. Organized by Associate Curator of Contemporary Art Cecilia Wichmann and Director of Conservation Linda Owen, the interview project records conversations between conservators, curators and artists with the goal of documenting nuances of artist intent as related to the long-term collection care and interpretation of their work. Each conversation is grounded in the objects acquired by, or on view at, the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Prominent artists featured in the project include Joyce J. Scott, Fred Wilson, Wendy Red Star, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and more. Over the course of three months Leah, alongside University of Maryland American studies scholar Hannah Brancato, were tasked with developing guidelines and transcripts for these interviews.

Throughout the summer Leah participated in various workshops, tours and talks hosted by the museum, including a staff weaving workshop led by Joyce J. Scott, accompanying her retrospective in-house exhibition. The project also allowed Leah to visit various local artists and educators around the Baltimore region, helping to maintain long-term connections between the museum and Baltimore’s cultural scene.

At the conclusion of the summer session Leah and Hannah’s work was presented to the museum’s contemporary curatorial team. Although the project is currently only utilized internally, Leah hopes its work can be linked with public education and programming in the near future.

The experience strengthened Leah’s love for contemporary art and efforts to document artist’s stories. “This was one of the few times I’ve been able to work so closely with living artists who were able to walk me through their creative processes, both interpretative and technical. I learned so much,” Leah states. “The continued lives of their works are directly linked to the care and respect presented by the institutions that house them. I’m grateful that the Baltimore Museum of Art is continuously committed to creating a meaningful experience for both its visitors and artists through work like the “Artist Interview” project. It was a fulfilling project to work on! I hope to continue these efforts throughout my own work and career.”