The Exh Files: Part 12

Everything you have always wanted to know about how exhibitions get done, but you’ve never dared ask. The Exh Files bring you into the belly of the monster, not only to shed light on the curatorial process of Talk to Me, but also to cast the spotlight on the unsung heroes and heroines whose work is critical to the success of a show. For the duration of the exhibition, twice a week we will post three profiles of MoMA colleagues that were involved in the making of this show, and of many other MoMA exhibitions.

Peter Perez

PETER PEREZ
Framing

Title at MoMA: Framing Department Foreman.
Been working at the museum for: 23 years at MoMA (Hay Dios Mio!!)
A brief bio: I received my MFA degree from Maryland Institute-Hoffberger School of Painting in 1978. I taught graduate painting at Tyler School of Art and Bard College. And since 1978 I have had various solo exhibitions and group shows in NY, Europe and Latin America.
Passion outside MoMA: making art (a new project in collaboration with three contemporary poets) and now remodeling a house I bought in a Usonia -Frank Lloyd Wright community in Pleasantville, NY.
What I did in Talk to Me: designed and created various frames and mounts for exhibition objects.
Curatorial Team says: The Framing shop is one of the magical places in MoMA’s hidden guts. It is such a privilege to have at our disposal the skills of a team of experts that would be the envy of every collector on earth. When we say at our disposal, of course we mean it with a grain of salt. There is a long waiting list at all times. Also, Peter’s work goes well beyond frames. Please look at the book stands in this picture. They were his idea, his design, his making.

Kim Mitchell

KIM MITCHELL
Chief Communications Officer

Title at MoMA: Chief Communications Officer.
Been working at the museum for:  since 1997 (and worked on Paola’s exhibition Achille Castiglioni!)
A brief bio: My career has been a giant zig-zag, starting out in advertising as a photography production assistant, then as an art director and copywriter, co-founding a design/ad agency, learning the joys and challenges of museum communications at the Parrish Art Museum on Long Island, and finally landing this dream job at MoMA where I have never had one boring day and get to work with visionary and brilliant curators to tell the world about things I am passionate about.
Passion outside MoMA: In my non-working life, I am a curious traveler, foodie, film buff and weekend bicyclist!
What I did in Talk to Me: Working on Talk to Me was an inspiration for a communicator. It is not often that you see the word “communication” in an exhibition title, so this curatorial concept was close to our hearts from the outset. My role was to oversee the public relations, marketing and graphic design for the exhibition, which means my team is responsible for creating ads, press materials, and exhibition graphics, as well as organizing events, pitching stories to the media, setting up interviews, handling photo shoots, etc. One special tactic came about through the MTA’s MetroCard machine now on view in the galleries, where visitors can purchase a special MetroCard. Working with the MTA, the card featured the exhibition identity on the flip side, and six million cards will be distributed throughout the subway system. We also like to try playful and unexpected things. This summer, street teams fanned out through the city talking to people, handing out materials, and wearing old-fashioned sandwich boards showing the Talk to Me exhibition identity and a QR code that will take people to a website about the exhibition. We liked combining the oldest form of communication with the newest. It’s so gratifying to see the exhibition inspire our visitors of all ages to learn more about design.
Curatorial Team says: Contemporary design is always a great testing ground for new communication techniques, and we love working with our colleagues in Kim’s department.

Laura Beiles

LAURA BEILES
Adult Programs

Title at MoMA: Assistant Director, Adult Programs.
Been working at the museum for: 10 years.
A brief bio: Laura Beiles is the Assistant Director of Adult Programs in the Department of Education at MoMA.  She organizes exhibition- and collection-related programs with artists, scholars, architects, designers, poets and others.Most recently, she co-organized Bauhaus Lab, an interactive space that reimagined the classrooms and curriculum of the historic school in Germany. She also organized the exhibition Words in Freedom: Futurism at 100 (February 13 – April 6, 2009) and wrote an educators guide for the Museum entitled Artists Among Nations. Before coming to MoMA in 2001, she worked at NYU, La Pietra in Florence and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.  She received her Bachelor’s in Art History and Italian at Middlebury College in Vermont and her Master’s degree in Art History at Hunter College, The City University of New York, where she received the Shuster Award for Outstanding MA Thesis in May 2007.
Passion outside of MoMA: hanging out with my 9 month old peanut, Livia.
What I did in Talk To Me: co-organizing the related symposium.
Curatorial Team says: Laura also envisioned a really special evening that will take place at MoMA on November 2, entitled The Language of Objects and led by our beloved Rob Walker. It will be very special.