Sara J Pinkham is Exhibition and Engagement Coordinator for the Main Library Gallery at the University of Iowa Libraries. Thank you Sara for sharing your time and talents with AAMG!
What’s one thing — either industry/work-related or not — you learned in the past month?
I recently learned how to build “invisible” mounts for textile artifacts using Fosshape material. It’s been a fun adventure, and I look forward to improving my technique over time.
Additionally, each exhibition in the Main Library Gallery features a guest curator who is an expert in their field. Because of this, I am able to discover something new each time I produce an exhibit. This year alone I have learned about the history and art of bookmaking, Hawkeye sports milestones, Edgar Allan Poe’s connection to 19th–century French poets, and the wildlife conservation efforts of a local cartoonist.
Just after the installation of the Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City exhibition.
What do you value about your membership with AAMG?
While I am a member of other museum organizations, none have been as validating as AAMG. Managing a gallery on a university campus comes with a very specific set of challenges and opportunities, and I have really appreciated the connections I’ve made with others in similar roles to mine. I look forward to attending next year’s conference in person for the first time!
Making the Book…: Detail from spring 2024 exhibition Making the Book, Past and Present. Photo by Tim Schoon, courtesy of the University of Iowa Office of Strategic Communication.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?
I would love to trade places with a curator at the UK’s Historic Royal Palaces charity, or an exhibits developer at the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford. I had an opportunity to travel to England last year and enjoy some behind-the-scenes experiences and training at Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, and the Bodleian (among other places) through the Open Palace Programme for GLAM professionals. It was incredible and I’ve carried that inspiration with me since my visit.
Coffee or Tea?
A mug on my desk almost always features some variety of Yorkshire Tea.
Sara guiding Libraries Advancement Council members through the Main Library Gallery.
Book/Author suggestion?
I really enjoy a nonfictional deep dive into social histories, and two books I’ve read recently that stick with me are All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake, by Tiya Miles and The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, by Hallie Rubenhold. Each book digs deeply into archives to reconstruct real portraits of marginalized or maligned women and the societies in which they lived and to tell their stories. I also recently borrowed Common People: In Pursuit of My Ancestors, by Alison Light, through interlibrary loan and, as someone who has spent a lot of time researching my own ancestors, I look forward to reading that.
Reviewing selected exhibit materials in Special Collections and Archives.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I had a lot of ideas: writer, editor, historian, cinematographer, librarian, respiratory therapist. My younger self would be pleased to know that my current job allows me to write, edit, research, film and assemble short videos, work with special collections and archives materials in a library, and fully avoid intubating our visitors.
Sara after a ribbon cutting and exhibit opening for The Pull of Horses on National and Local Histories and Identities.
What do you enjoy most about being a part of an academic museum?
It is very rewarding to work with students. Whether hosting a class visit in the Main Library Gallery, joining a class to give a guest lecture, or having one-on-one discussions about exhibit content or a student’s GLAM-related career goals, I always come away from these interactions feeling energized and optimistic. I also feel incredibly lucky that I am part of a campus museum and library ecosystem at Iowa that values collaboration and camaraderie, and I get to work with a highly skilled exhibits team in-house at the University of Iowa Libraries. This core group works tirelessly to design the look and feel of each exhibit, craft mounts, assess object conditions and conduct conservation treatment, and much more. I am impressed by their work and expertise every time we craft an exhibit.
Hawkeye Histories | Sporting Stories in the Main Library Gallery, fall 2024.
What are your hopes for our industry?
Academic museums and galleries are valuable resources for everyone. I hope we will continue to find new ways to welcome in the general public alongside the communities on campus, to continue innovating when it comes to accessibility, and to use our positions on campus to help inspire and prepare the next generation of GLAM professionals.
Sara in the University of Iowa Libraries Conservation Lab with colleagues Peter Balestrieri and Giselle Simón, and special guests Barry and Bev Morrow.
With conference coming up, can you share a bit about your forthcoming presentation?
I recently had the privilege of co-presenting the virtual session “Cultivating Community and Fostering Belonging in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums” at the 2024 AAMG Annual Conference. University of Iowa colleagues Jessica Smith from the Pentacrest Museums and Kimberly Musial Datchuk from the Stanley Museum of Art joined me to discuss ways our campus GLAM alliance has championed inclusion through exhibitions, programs, and social media outreach.
Bonus: Do you have a favorite joke to share?
I genuinely enjoy pretty much any meme shared on the International Mountmakers Forum Instagram account (@internationalmountmakersforum). Just one relatable example:
