The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

NB: Thank you Antonio for joining me and I’m excited to introduce you to our community! At The Aldrich, a core part of our mission is to be a platform for an emerging artist’s first Museum exhibition and in a similar parallel, this is your first Museum job. It would be great to know more about your past and how you ended up at The Aldrich.

AP: Firstly, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I’m happy to be here and it’s been really thrilling to get to know everyone and be in a creative space and meet artists and learn about their work. I came to museum work in a roundabout way, but in a decisive way - nonetheless. I studied international relations and politics but I always had a passion for art—not only admiring it but also physically engaging in it myself. I always knew I wanted art to be part of my professional life in some way.

After I graduated college, I interned at the United Nations and it really taught me a lot about international cooperation and development. After my time at the UN, I moved to Portugal and worked for a nonprofit organization called SOPROas a volunteer coordinator and mentor for individuals arriving in Portugal from throughout the European Union. We mainly led development projects in the region such as facilitating clothing drives, visiting retirement homes, participating in environmental projects like coastal clean ups, and helping distribute food and other necessities to families in need.

I continued nonprofit work when I moved back to the US. I became an arts educator at Outside the Lens, an organization in San Diego, CA that runs mainly free photography courses in schools, afterschool programs, and summer camps. They also have a strong social justice component and that’s clear in the work we did with students. When I moved back to New York, I knew I wanted to continue combining community and education-oriented nonprofit work with art.

NB: I think in many ways those experiences you had with international relations and as a volunteer coordinator overlap with what we do here at The Aldrich. How do you see your past experiences helping you with your work in arts education?

AP: I remember within the first two weeks of starting work here at The Aldrich we had an artist walkthrough with Layo Bright on her current exhibition. She spoke about her history and trajectory with art. She had studied law before becoming a full-time artist and spoke about how she maintains a deep sense of social justice in everything she does and that really connected with me. As an arts educator, I think my job is to not just educate but also to empower people through art. Our work is service oriented and we’re providing something that I hope is meaningful for people of any age—an opportunity to engage with art. I really think that appreciation and engagement in the arts can build healthy and more resilient communities.

NB: Now that you’ve been here for a few months, I think you’ve got a good sense of the variety of programs we offer at The Aldrich. What are some of the programs you’re really excited about?

AP: I’m really excited for more school tours and being involved in more school programming. When I picture myself at the age of the students I’ve seen come to the Museum, I think that I would like to offer them the experiences that I wish I would have had, or I wish I would have had more of. I also really enjoy relating with students during tours and seeing them engage creatively with our exhibitions. For example, when some students came the other day for a tour, they spent time in the galleries drawing and sketching while I talked to them about the artwork on view. I thought it was really incredible to see them so fully immersed in the art. So I guess, I’m most excited for more moments like that. I think it’s great to be in direct contact with our visitors, which as a department, we get to do almost every day.

NB: I think that one of the best parts about the job is that we get to work with artists that are alive today and not only learn about their work but also get to know them! Are there any artists you’re really excited about who are working today?

AP: It’s a new experience for me to be so closely associated with fresh, emerging artists—kind of. When I lived in San Diego, through my co-workers who were born and raised in San Diego, I delved into the local photography and arts scene. Many of them are artists themselves and involved in organizing exhibitions throughout San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. In Portugal, I lived in Barcelos, a city known for its folk art. On my way to work I would pass the studios of local artisans creating ceramic figures, like the famous “Galo de Barcelos.” So I guess to answer your question there’s not really a specific artist, but through my recent experiences I realized I really like being exposed to local artists and learning about their practices—wherever I find myself. So far, I’ve really appreciated the variety of artists represented in the exhibitions at The Aldrich.

NB: I want to close this interview with one more question. What’s something surprising about The Aldrich that you think more people should know about?

AP: I think The Aldrich really gives a voice to working artists today. This may be well known for us who work here but maybe not to the general public. Working here I feel like I am supporting artists and that I have their back in some way. From the education point of view, I’m teaching people about their work and art practice and I feel like I’m helping get the word out there. We are intertwined as a community, often working directly with the artists. For example, artist Amanda Martínez worked with us on leading students from Side by Side Charter School in Norwalk in an art project inspired by her work through our artist-to-school residency program called Common Ground.I am amazed by how much artists offer our audiences. Even if they’ve never led a tour before or worked with kids before, it always works out because they are passionate about their work and people are interested in it.