Interview with a Curator

In my research of curators, I was lucky enough to be able to have a phone interview with Ms. Heydt, the curator of American Art.  She has been with the High Museum for about two years.  Previously, she was a curator in Largo, Florida.  She even worked at the art museum at Harvard University for three years. Ms. Heydt has a Doctorate in Philosophy and Art History.  As curator of American Art, Ms. Heydt makes sure that the High Museum has significant works by well known American artists.  She is particularly proud of recent pieces they have obtained by well-known artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe.  She said she is proud that they now have around 900 pieces of American art.  I asked Ms. Heydt what her favorite piece of art is.  She said it is “Purissima” by Joseph Stella. 

I asked which painting it was and she said it is a large colorful painting of a medieval representation of the Virgin Mary. She said one reason that she likes it is the artist’s unusual use of fr

uit and flowers as a garland-like frame around the painting.  She also loves the symmetry of the painting, of how each side has a counterpart to the other side.  She said the artist even signed his name on both sides of the painting in keeping with the symmetry of the artwork.

After my interview, I looked up this piece of artwork on the web.  I do remember this painting I have attached a picture for you to see.