Richmond Leader

Meet 4 inspiring alums in the arts

What careers lend themselves to a passion for the arts? As it turns out, the opportunities are endless.

Richmond alumni who studied visual and performing arts have found success in a variety of career paths. For some, the steps were linear: An internship with a museum led to a curator role, or working alongside an artist helped hone their craft. For others, they explored different intersections until they found their way in insurance, fundraising, or arts administration.

Here, four alumni share their journeys in the arts.

Laura Doyle, Vice president of art, jewelry, and valuable collections manager, Chubb

Long before she started working in insurance, 2006 grad Laura Doyle knew she wanted to explore the intersection of art and business. While studying art history at Richmond, she worked for University Museums and had an internship with the trust and estates department of a local auction house.

“That was my first exposure to the value of objects and the sales side of the art world,” she said.

After college, a yearlong research grant with the American Ceramics Circle provided her the opportunity to curate her own show. A brief stint working with a private collector ultimately introduced her to her career.

For the last 15 years, Doyle has worked for Chubb, the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. She partners directly with collectors to protect their world-class art collections. Many lend their collections to museums around the world, and Doyle consults on how to transport, store, and exhibit the objects safely.

“I get to work with art on a daily basis,” she said. “It’s always exciting to see a piece in a client’s home that I studied at UR.”

Christian Pedersen, Actor

“I’m the first line of insurance when the show must go on,” said 1998 grad Christian Pedersen about his role as an understudy in the Broadway production Ohio State Murders.

Covering the role of Robert Hampshire, Pedersen has to learn the part inside and out and be ready to go on at a moment’s notice — a “high probability in the world of COVID,” he said. He also gets to work closely with the show’s leads and other Broadway heavy hitters.

“To be in the room and work with people like that,” he said, “it’s worth more than any paycheck.”

While working with actors and directors at the highest level in the business is a highlight of his current role, Pedersen, who studied theater at UR, said every job has its perks. Over the years, he’s performed in regional and off-Broadway productions, TV shows like Damages and This is Us, and several films. Before Ohio State Murders, he was an ensemble cast member and understudy for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Curran Theater in San Francisco.

Chris Oliver, Bev Perdue Jennings Associate Curator of American Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Looking back, 2005 grad Chris Oliver can pinpoint the moment that led him to his role as a curator.

At the start of his senior year, he connected with Elizabeth O’Leary at the VMFA, who was looking for an intern. The internship made him want to “sink his teeth” into American art, which he pursued in graduate school. When O’Leary retired in 2013, Oliver jumped at the chance to return to the VMFA.

“I have the position of the person with whom I interned when I was an undergraduate,” he said.

Oliver majored in art history because he knew the critical thinking skills would apply no matter what he chose to pursue. Then, a fellowship with University Museums ignited his interest in curating.

“I’m one of four curators who oversee the permanent collection of historic American art,” he said. “Acquiring works for the museum is an important part of what we do: What stories can we tell that we’re not currently telling?” 

Mimi King, Artist and teacher

At seemingly every step in Mimi King’s career, art professor Tanja Softić can be found nudging her forward.

King first discovered printmaking during a monotype class at Richmond, where she studied studio art. She connected with the mystery of the process, how inks and solvents reacted, and could never be certain what she’d get until she pulled a print off the press.

Softić recognized her potential early on. When King graduated in 2015, Softić offered her continued access to the University’s printmaking studio. Then, she hired King as her studio assistant.

“She comes up with an idea and creates the plates. Then, she hands them to me and I do the printing,” King said. “The last seven years have been an extended apprenticeship.”

Last fall, King started teaching printmaking at Old Dominion University — a position she landed in part because of her experience with Softić. 

“It’s an incredible feeling to see all of these pieces falling into place,” she said, “after so many years of learning and practicing and growing my skills as a printmaker.”

Original source can be found here