By Minh Tran ’23, special contributor
The Calling
From her passion for art and skill in drawing as a child, Kristine Larison took many art classes in high school and college. She’s also done many creative art projects. The thrill of adventure and discovery made her want to keep exploring nature and the world of art around her.
“What I loved most was learning and studying about art from the past and other places, and when I realized that you could do that as a career, I found my calling,” Larison said.
A semester abroad in London, along with museum visits, assignments and artworks from around the world also greatly influenced her decision. Larison double majored in studio art and humanities at Houghton College (now Houghton University) in New York. She earned her master’s degree in art history from Pennsylvania State University and doctorate degree at the University of Chicago.
The Real World
After completing her Ph.D. in art history, Larison expected to teach full-time at a college or university, but some personal and professional events delayed her opportunity. However, as Alexander Graham Bell said, “when one door closes, another door opens,” Larison had a chance to work at the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery as the Gallery Assistant in March 2022.
“It is a part-time position, but I enjoy being involved in many facets of the gallery exhibitions and programming, especially my interactions with students at LVC.”
Larison enjoyed gaining more experience in the hands-on, museum setting of the gallery. She believes the Art Gallery is an amazing resource for LVC students to have a museum-quality exhibition space on campus and to be able to participate in the exhibitions and events during the academic year.
“It is exciting to be part of both a museum space and educational community.”
A Day in the Gallery
Most of the artworks at Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery were donations to the Lebanon Valley College Fine Arts Collection (LVCFAC). Working in the Gallery, Larison often handles a range of artworks and visual media for different exhibitions. She helps to figure out the layout for each show, an appropriate place to hang specific work in the gallery and she does the actual measuring and hanging art.
After the artwork is placed on the wall, the next step is adjusting the lighting corresponding to where works are displayed and what levels of light are appropriate for the materials. Larison also does research and preparation for upcoming shows. She helps to write labels for the artwork and produce an exhibition catalog that gives more in-depth context and analysis of the works. Another part of her job is putting together the schedule and approving online timesheets for the student gallery attendants, who work in the gallery during the opening hours for the people.
“I am currently working on a catalog for next year that explores developments in American modernism and its artistic cross-currents in the first half of the twentieth century. Because the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery is a museum on a college campus, we also try to provide a lot of student involvement in these aspects of creating and curating exhibitions, so I help to edit and provide feedback on student writing for labels and get to work with our Gallery Interns in setting up or taking down exhibitions, as well.”
The Learning Processes
Before Larison started this position, most of her experience in art history was in the classroom environment and teaching college-level classes with surveys and special topics in Medieval & Byzantine Art. Larison did not have much experience with museum collections or exhibitions. During her graduate education, she helped select works for display and wrote labels/catalog entries for one exhibition of the university library as part of a graduate seminar. She volunteered as a research assistant at the Art Institute of Chicago in preparation for a special exhibition of works for one year.
“But I wasn’t involved in the physical work of hanging or installing the exhibitions, so I’ve had a lot to learn over the past year in that regard. I would say I’m still improving my understanding of the planning and communication that takes place behind the scenes before an exhibition is ready to be installed.”
Within a year, Larison has learned protocols for handling work in transport and storage. She enjoyed the opportunity to examine works close up as she dug into research on some of the LVCFAC.
“My favorite part of my job is the opportunity to learn new things with each of the exhibitions we hang in the gallery. I enjoy sharing the finished exhibition with students and gallery visitors, especially when we have special events or class tours in the gallery space. But I have the privilege of learning alongside our visitors with each show that we prepare and display.”
She is enjoying learning new skills and museum standards for taking care of and exhibiting work in the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery.
Work-life Balance
Larison has decided to work with part-time responsibilities for the time being to prioritize her family. She does expect a secure full-time position combining opportunities for ongoing research and teaching in the art history field with the kind of curatorial work that she has found so rewarding over the past year at LVC in the future. But at the moment, she wants to spend time with her daughter since she is in preschool this year and will be attending a half-day kindergarten next year.
“I’m re-entering a work environment after taking several years to focus on my home life and raising a young child. We’re also facing some increasing health issues with aging parents, so I’m not certain what the next few years will look like, exactly.”
Being part of a close and supportive family network has always been a priority in Larison’s life and continues to inform decisions she makes about other commitments. She has also tried to maintain strong relationships with friends and faith communities in many places she has lived, studied and worked so that her responsibilities and the time invested in her work are enriched by other relationships.
“I know these have helped keep me balanced and provided a sense of perspective that goes beyond the immediate stresses and demands of teaching or graduate work, whether that is something small like getting regular exercise with a friend or gym partner or something more substantial like participating in service projects or volunteering with student groups or a church community.” Larison said. “I tend to be a perfectionist in my work and my expectations, so I often need the accountability of friends and family to help me see the bigger picture. I’m also grateful for these relationships as a reminder of my own worth and value simply as a human being, and not just because of what I do or try to achieve.”
So far, the gallery assistant hasn’t had to face many struggles or stress in her job. She said that if people can follow protocols in museum settings and be careful in their work, they can do their best.