Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
Beach Museum of Art on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode 325
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We talk with Beach Museum of Art curator Eileen Wong about building exhibitions that welcome everyone, from clear label writing to creating a space where curiosity is the point. We preview Homeslash Land Wazhazhe Artists Speak, a bilingual English and Wazhazhe exhibition featuring three Osage Nation artists, plus ways to celebrate and show up for the museum this season.
• Eileen Wong’s path from New York to Kansas and 11 years at the Beach Museum of Art
• What a curator does day to day, from research to gallery layout to writing wall labels
• Writing about art without “shop talk” so first-time visitors feel included
• Homeslash Land Wazhazhe Artists Speak opening August 18 and why “Wazhazhe” matters
• Making the exhibition bilingual with a Wazhazhe language translator
• Spotlight on Norman Akers, Anita Fields, and Ryan Redcorn plus new installations
• Upcoming events including the August 20 celebration and the October 9 Beach Ball
• The Beach Museum mission after 30 years and why we say art is for everyone
So please come, everyone, come to check out what’s going on at the beach.
Sponsor And Segment Setup
SPEAKER_01Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode, we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMCF Community Hour, as heard on news radio KMAN. We
Meet Curator Eileen Wong
SPEAKER_01are back. Segment number two on this August 3rd edition of the GMCF Community Hour that we do every Monday morning here in the 9 o'clock time frame on KMAN. I'm Dave Lewis, and our first segment today, our first guest segment today, features Eileen Wong. She is a curator for the Beach Museum of Art.
SPEAKER_00Hello, Dave. Good morning to everybody out there.
SPEAKER_01Have you ever done anything like this before?
SPEAKER_00Um yes. You mean radio interview? Yes, I have with K-Men. Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Good. Good. Good. Well, tell us a little bit about yourself. This is your first time here on this show.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it is. Yeah. So I'm very excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I have been to I've been at the Beach Museum for 11 years. Really? As curator, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's a long time.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Director Linda Duke was the one who hired me. I don't some of you remember. Not quite. Not quite. Yes.
SPEAKER_01Because you what last year was 25 years? Is that what it was?
SPEAKER_00No, this year's 30 years. 30 years. Yeah, time flies. All right.
SPEAKER_01So you've been there a third of the time. Mm-hmm. Gotcha.
SPEAKER_00Yes. And I moved here to Kansas for this job.
SPEAKER_01Where from?
SPEAKER_00From New York.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's a shift.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Manhattan, little apple too. Or big apple to little apple.
SPEAKER_01How you like the little apple?
SPEAKER_00Love it. Yeah. Love it. Yeah, it was it was the change I wanted. Good. Yeah, and and it's been great. I've had great opportunities at the Beach Museum. Yeah. And so I'm very grateful to be here.
SPEAKER_01So tell us a little bit about what your job is as curator.
SPEAKER_00Big part of my job is doing research on artists and artworks and deciding what gets put on the walls in the gallery. So when you walk in, you know, the things that you see, how they're arranged, that's part of my job to figure out, you know, what to do with that. And then if you see labels next to an artwork and has a little explanation, I'm I'm the kind of person who would write.
SPEAKER_01You do that. Yes. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yes. And you know, I also plan exhibitions.
SPEAKER_01You gotta be pretty gifted with words then.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's part of our training is how to write. Yes.
SPEAKER_01I bet so. Yeah. I bet so. You have a new exhibit, which means you've been busy.
Homeslash Land And Wazhazhe Language
SPEAKER_00Yes, I've been very, very busy. And I'm very excited. Um I have an exhibition that's going to open in a couple of weeks on August 18. And it's called Homeslash Land Waji Artists Speak.
SPEAKER_01I'm glad you said that because I wasn't sure how to say that.
SPEAKER_00Wajaji, yes.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00That means osage. And it's wajaji is the word that the the tribe gave to themselves. You know, osage is a bastardization of a French word that the French named the tribe when they encountered them.
SPEAKER_01I think it's fascinating all the Native American terms that have come up, you know, and and different things like that. Did you know that the the name Manhattan came from a Native American term?
SPEAKER_00No, I didn't.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. And and and I have research on this. You know this, Lori?
SPEAKER_00Can you tell us a bit?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I can tell you what it's loosely interpreted as the island where we all got drunk.
SPEAKER_00Really? Seriously?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I've got it in a book.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_01I do. I do. I I just thought that was fun. Anyway, Wajaji.
SPEAKER_00Yes, Wajaji.
SPEAKER_01Did I say that right?
SPEAKER_00Yes, correct.
SPEAKER_01And for those of you at home that's spelled W-E-H-Z-H-A-Z-H-E.
SPEAKER_00Actually it's W-A-H.
SPEAKER_01W-A-H.
SPEAKER_00Z H A Z H E.
SPEAKER_01Okay. All right. Yes.
SPEAKER_00And you heard some of that language in Killers of the Flower Moon, the movie.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So they spoke that language there.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Um, and I'm really excited because in my exhibition, I'm giving everybody the opportunity to encounter the language in writing. So it is an exhibition that is fully bilingual in English and Wajaji. So I worked with a Wajaji language translator, and his native tongue is Wajazi. So he translated all the text in the in the exhibition.
SPEAKER_01So so excited for everyone to see that does this happen a lot with you in the your curator job where you're interacting with people that you know that you know come from different parts. And of course, you know, you you know, the beach's legacy is about, you know, area artists. Yes, region artists. Of course, this this this this fits in obviously nicely with your mission. Yes. But um Do languages sometimes become a barrier or maybe a blessing?
SPEAKER_00Um when you say languages as a barrier, what do you mean?
SPEAKER_01Do are they is it difficult to you know interpret as a curator, you know, the the verbiage that you use and you know the um the the the work that you do in describing the works and and the languages of maybe an artist like that?
SPEAKER_00Um well I guess um uh I'm not sure what you're asking, but um I definitely in writing labels that go on the walls, I keep that in mind that the people who are reading them are mostly people who maybe are encountering art for the first time or not not knowledgeable in art history. And so I write in a language that is not uh like shop talk.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00You know, and and then um we sometimes translate, you know, I I curated an exhibition in 2017 and it was with a Japanese Italian artist. And so we had um activities, um, talks in Japanese, you know, since he was of Japanese heritage, so it's bilingual English and Japanese, and we published an exhibition catalog that was bilingual, so half in English, half in Japanese. Yeah, I I do my best to um kind of share, you know, other languages when the opportunity is appropriate.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Great.
Programs Celebration Night And Beach Ball
SPEAKER_01Well, let's talk a bit about um, you know, this. We we do want to remind uh our listeners that this opens up August 18th at the beach.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01And you know, you've got always got lots of things going on. We have um, you know, fall programs, classes, workshops. What's what what all else do you have in store?
SPEAKER_00So we have lots of things in store for everyone. You know, you you will not run out things to do uh at the beach museum. So I encourage everyone to check out the website and the calendar of events for a full list. But here I'll highlight one, which is on Thursday, August 20th, from 5 to 7. We have a celebration of you know all the exhibitions that are opening for the season and also new installations of the galleries. You'll see new artworks. And and that's open to friends of the beach museum and those who are considering joining. So, in other words, everyone is invited.
SPEAKER_01Well, I I like that.
SPEAKER_00Yes. So please come, everyone, come to check out what's going on at the beach. The beach ball. Beach ball, yes, it's coming. It is.
SPEAKER_01Tell us about the beach ball.
SPEAKER_00Well, the beach ball this year is a friend racer, meaning that it is free for everyone. There's a DJ, there'll be refreshments, um, it's open to everyone, and um, we're very excited to offer that. And um the event this year is on October 9th.
SPEAKER_01That's a Friday night.
SPEAKER_00Yes, that is a Friday night. So I hope um you all come. It'll be a lot of fun. Everyone is encouraged to dress up, dress down, dress as you like. Um, staff will be obligated to dress in costume. And so we are gonna be very happy for those of you who come in costume and stand in solidarity with us. But it's not an obligation. So please come as you like.
SPEAKER_01So it's a big Halloween party.
SPEAKER_00In a way, yes, kind of.
SPEAKER_01So you can dress up as whatever you wish. You could dress up as Vern Henriks.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01You could dress up, yeah. I mean, you know, no, there's a lot of horror that's involved with Halloween.
SPEAKER_00So I will I will uh be diplomatic and stay quiet about that.
SPEAKER_01I'll just we'll just continue with that. So that is uh going to be at the beach?
SPEAKER_00Yes, that will be at the beach museum. Yes, so please come. You know, this is the first year we're opening it up to everyone. You know, no barriers. If you want to come, you can.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, great. Yeah. Well, you may mention this is 30 years of the Beach Museum of
30 Years Of Regional Art For All
SPEAKER_01Arts. Yes. That's crazy. I mean, it's just like I remember when that was, you know, before it was built. And and you know, we see this new facility, you know, and the the opening of everything and and the impact that it's made on this community. And and this is a thriving arts community. It's and and and a lot of that has to do with, you know, the beach, the relationships, you know. We have the Museum of Art and Light now, and and there's just such a uh a fun vibrancy uh in the world of art in our community. Yes, and it's growing, you know, and and I think that started really largely with the beach.
SPEAKER_00Yes, the beach is the first art museum that is devoted to regional art, meaning Kansas and the contiguous states, you know, and and we are here to highlight, you know, what is uh wonderful about creativity here in Kansas and all the surrounding states. And um, the museum opened in 1996 with a mission to connect campus and community, Kansas, and the world beyond the borders of Kansas. And, you know, it is a mission that we're still striving to achieve today. You know, we want to create meaningful encounters with art, and we also want to create a safe space for people to come in and be curious, explore, ask questions, be uncomfortable, and connect to others through art. You know, we are we want to be that space, and everything that we do is be, you know, for that um reason. And we believe that art is for everyone. And so the art museum is for all people here, all of the people in our community. So um, you know, I always tell people don't think that the art museum is for somebody else, you know, or someone with a college degree. It is for everyone. And I say, like, if you're feeling blah and you kind of need a pickup or something to inspire you, the art museum is the place to go. And Beach Museum of Art is free. So you can come in anytime.
SPEAKER_01You know, one of the other things is just like, you know, you talk about looking for inspiration, it is relaxing. You walk in there and it's just like, you know, you have nothing else to think about other than just appreciate what you've got there on display.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Um, be in the moment, right? Like have a conversation with a work of art. You know, an artist made that and thought about it.
SPEAKER_01If you were to pick an exhibit or two that are your favorites, what would they be?
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01That's a tough that's a tough question, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00That's a tough question. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, I'm really Or something that maybe, you know, that stands out with 30 years of perspective from the Beach Museum of Art.
Artist Highlights Dates And Final Invites
SPEAKER_00I guess I um I'm gonna talk about my exhibition, which is coming up. You know, um, this is an opportunity to see works by three excellent Wajaji Osage Nation artists, um, Norman Akers, Anita Fields, and Ryan Redcorn. And Norman and Anita are elders in their community, and Ryan is kind of is the represents the next generation. And um, we have uh special installations that's being created by the artists, especially for this exhibition. So if you come, you'll see something that hasn't been seen in other places. Um, Norman Akers actually had an artist residency in Philadelphia just earlier this year, and he created all these paintings. Well, all those paintings are here in this exhibition, and they've never been seen outside of Philadelphia, outside of that artist's residency. So that's really exciting. And like I said before, you know, this is a chance for people to be to see what wajaji or Osage language looks like in terms of the script. It to me, it's that's so exciting to be able to share, you know, my my deep dive into Osage culture and language because of my admiration for these artists.
SPEAKER_01And the exhibit opens August 18th. It's free to come in and look around whenever you want. Yes, I love that part.
SPEAKER_00Come on August 20th for the celebration, five to seven, Thursday night.
SPEAKER_01Got that down. Yes. And then uh October 9 is the beach ball.
SPEAKER_00Correct.
SPEAKER_01Eileen, great job.
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for being part of it. Eileen Wong.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_01You bet, curator at the Beach Museum of Art. You can always find more about uh the beach at their website, beach.k state.edu. Lori Getch is in next. Did you bring a friend to talk or to take some photos? Oh, she's just here to document your pre presence. Okay, all right, good. Lori Getch is in next with Fairy Godmothers as we continue with the GMCF community hour here on news radio, K M A N.