FALL 2020

Nicole Davenport ’15, ’16, ’20 can pinpoint two constants throughout her life: her love of art and Winthrop.

PUSHING FOR ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE MUSEUMS

PUSHING FOR

ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE MUSEUMS

Growing up in Anderson, Davenport explored her artistic side by drawing, painting and sculpting with clay. “I was interested in making things and would use whatever materials I could,” said Davenport.

Her parents and public school art teachers supported and encouraged her, and she knew early on that she wanted to become an art teacher.

Her grandmother, Emmie Smalley ’65, and aunt, Les- lie Davenport Hutto ’97, had attended Winthrop, so Davenport knew it would be a perfect fit to continue exploring her love for art and art education.

What she found set her up for success. “The art de- partment has small classes that allowed me to form relationships with my classmates and professors. We felt secure with one another and could provide con- structive critiques of one another’s work without hurt- ing feelings,” said Davenport.

After graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts with an emphasis in printmaking and sculpture, she went straight into the Master of Arts in Teaching 5 program, which allowed her to earn her master’s

degree in one year. She then taught middle school art for one year before reevaluating her career path.

“That year provided me with an incredible growth experience. I learned a lot about myself, and I realized that I wanted to pursue a different path,” she said.

She applied for an installation position with the Winthrop University Galleries, and she knew it was a great fit. She was drawn to the educational component of gallery work, and she worked her way up to galleries assistant director and planned programming, met with artists, curated material and taught a Galleries Practicum course in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Her supervisor, Karen Derksen ‘10, a graduate of Winthrop’s Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA) program, encouraged Davenport to pursue an MAAA degree.

“Nicole’s inspiring creativity, tireless energy and endless enthusiasm made her one of our most valuable employees. Her entrepreneurial work and beautiful creations in textiles excelled during her graduate studies in the arts administration master’s program,” said Derksen.

Davenport’s research and capstone project, entitled “Future Study,” were on display in the Patrick Gallery this fall.

It was the MAAA program’s capstone project that really piqued Davenport’s interest. She researched galleries and museums in the Southeast to determine how they are making their offerings accessible to visitors. “Accessibility, diversity and inclusion in museums are more relevant now than ever before,” said Davenport.

What she discovered after researching what worked for the museums, what didn’t, best practices and more, could be broken down into three categories: communication (how do museums/galleries utilize two-way communication with their visitors?), content (what do visitors want to see?) and presentation (who do museums/galleries employ and can visitors relate to them?)

She took her research, which earned first place in the Graduate School’s Three-Minute Thesis Competition, and turned it into an exhibition this fall entitled “Future Study,” which she showcased in Winthrop’s Elizabeth Dunlap Patrick Gallery.

“I was so happy that we could take this opportunity to showcase all the hard work Nicole put into her capstone project and to celebrate her achievements,” said Derksen.

As for the future, Davenport, who graduated in August with an MAAA degree, plans to pursue a full-time

position in museum programming. “I’m proud of the work that I’ve done, and I plan to continue this research and hope to apply the findings beyond my capstone project,” said Davenport.

“One commonality that I discovered is the need to listen. Museums and galleries should be listening to members of their communities as to what they want to see. I also discovered that there already are museums and galleries fighting hard against systemic hindrances, and I can’t wait to see how other institutions will follow their lead.” - Nicole Davenport

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