Staff Pick: Kaitlyn Martin
Hello! I’m Kaitlyn, one of the welcome desk associates in the visitor experience department. My job is to greet and welcome all visitors into the museum, answer phone calls and emails, maintain public spaces, and facilitate event check-ins. My favorite part of my job is interacting with museum visitors and seeing people get involved in Columbia’s art community. As someone who is from Columbia, I love giving recommendations about what the museum, Main Street, and the city as a whole has to offer.
Food, Clothing, Shelter by Laurie Simmons is my current favorite piece on view. This photogravure lives in Gallery 18 (Home, Work, Play), and it represents that theme perfectly. Simmons portrays a feminist perspective of domesticity through playful materials. She uses dolls, mannequins, and miniatures to stage scenes for her photos. These odd, anthropomorphic subjects prompt the viewer to consider their relationships with these facets of life. The shadows and selective color give off a haunting vibe that I love. The figures appear directionless within the liminal space of a true suburban housewife nightmare.
