MEET THE NEW CURATORIAL TEAM AT THE YAM

By Anna Paige

As the Yellowstone Art Museum heads into its next chapter serving the region, executive director Jessica Kay Ruhle has been busy filling critical roles with an emphasis on the curatorial department. Lisa Ranallo, who joined the YAM staff in 2018 as registrar, has taken on the role of curator for the permanent collection. New staff members include Kimberly Gaitonde, curatorial assistant, and Laura Krapacher, registrar.

“Every department is critical at the YAM, but a museum can’t shine without a strong curatorial team,” said Ruhle. “It’s fantastic to have Lisa Ranallo leading the curatorial effort with her deep knowledge of the region, as well as her years of working with the YAM’s permanent collection and Board of Trustees. Growing the size of the department gives her the professional support she needs to coordinate exhibitions from our collection and host installations from other institutions.” Ranallo and her team are asked to interpret the YAM’s immense collection of national and regional art for a series of rotating exhibitions installed in the permanent exhibition galleries, while also selecting works to add to the permanent collection by noted emerging and established artists of our time. Through such roles, the curatorial department contributes to preserving Montana’s artistic legacy.

After working behind the scenes in research, collections management, conservation, and registration, Ranallo’s role as curator requires her to engage with the museum’s visitors and artists as much as the art. She is no stranger to museum life. Prior to the YAM, she worked at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and Fallingwater, and as a global art courier. While at MIA, she traveled on many courier trips to Italy, Spain, Germany, Japan, and Austria. “As a result, I could see some fabulous shows behind the scenes,” Ranallo said. Her new role is a collaborative one, working closely with the executive director and a collections subcommittee, comprised of community members with vast art knowledge and institutional history. The museum also abides by a collections management plan.

Ruhle is most excited about moving forward with a full team and filling the YAM calendar with exhibitions that celebrate the rich artistic history of the Mountain West, while also spotlighting emerging artists doing innovative work, she said. “That kind of curatorial balance tells a more complicated, and a much fuller, art historical story.”

Get to know the team a bit more as they answer questions about their new roles.

What do you love most about the curatorial process?

Lisa Ranallo: I most enjoy listening to artists discuss their work and discovering the threads that pull an exhibition together. It’s a creative process, in many ways akin to art making, because the exhibition is an interpretation that is shaped and shared. The best day is opening the exhibition to the public and feeling the gratification of bridging art and community.

Laura Krapacher: One of my favorite things about working in a museum is the ability to be hands-on with the artwork. There is something about the behind-the-scenes efforts that I find very interesting and enjoyable. I used to be the person walking through the galleries, but now I am the one setting them up!

Laura Krapacher: I like having this intimate relationship with the collection. I get to hold it, examine it, and care for it. I know what the backs of paintings look like. I document every “boo boo” an artwork may have and monitor it in case it needs conservation down the line. I enjoy quietly being a steward of the collection, so the public may enjoy it.

What attracted you to the position?

Laura Krapacher: I liked that the collection specialized in contemporary art from the region. It’s hopeful to know that contemporary art exists and is appreciated everywhere, not just in large cities like New York, Seoul, Paris, Lima, Growing up in an immigrant family has informed my experiences more than being from the NYC metro area. I have this constant awareness that the world is bigger than wherever I find myself. This is also true for the art world. The main selling point, however, was the opportunity to work with Lisa Ranallo. She just seemed like such a lovely person throughout my interview process not to mention her own museum street cred. She has worked at some major institutions like MIA and NMAI making me feel like I could really talk shop with her and get things done.

Kimberly Gaitonde: I’ve always wanted to combine my love for the arts with an opportunity to serve the Billings community, and the YAM is such a wonderful institution that is at the forefront of arts and culture in Montana. My previous experience interning for the museum helped prepare me, as far as being comfortable with the museum and ‘knowing the ropes,’ so when I had the opportunity to work there, I didn’t waste a second!

What objects are you are excited about bringing from the vault? What objects have surprised you?

Lisa Ranallo: I’m excited to pull together a print show from our collection. We have fabulous works on paper that have yet to be exhibited or placed in new contexts. This past year I came across the suite of 12 prints (lithographs and serigraphs) from the Kent Bicentennial Portfolio Print Collection from Lorillard (collected in 1976). Included are works by Red Grooms, Alex Katz, Marisol, Larry Rivers, Robert Indiana, and others. As for works that have surprised me—most recently a life-sized fabric sculpture by Paul Harris entitled Flo Waiting. The female figure stands between three walls covered in patterned wallpaper. We hope to display this work with the upcoming MAGDA exhibition, Paul Harris: Activating the Surface.

Kimberly Gaitonde: Sculptures and installations always surprise me. It’s amazing to see what artists do with certain materials and how they bring certain forms to life. I would love to learn more about Native peoples and tribal imagery, and more about the traditions and stories that inspire their forms. I plan on doing as much research as I can, attending lectures and talks and hearing directly from Native artists and intellectuals about what inspires their work.

What is your vision for the position?

Laura Krapacher: In the context of a museum, the registrar keeps records for the collection, exhibitions, and object loans. At the YAM, the registrar is also responsible for object care, preventive conservation, as well as upholding best storage, packing, and handling practices; collections manager responsibilities. Right now, I am working on an audit of the collection. Once this audit is done, I would like to do some storage rearrangement that facilitates curatorial initiatives. I would also like to set up an art cleaning schedule, mark artworks for re-framing, and create better storage housing for some of our artwork.

Kimberly Gaitonde: I have enjoyed my indoctrination into the YAM family, or ‘Yamily.’ Everyone has been so friendly, kind, and welcoming. It is also very exciting for me to be surrounded by fellow academics who are passionate about upholding the spirit of the museum and serving the community like I am. The YAM is the perfect environment to exercise my skills while also learning from hardworking people, and at the end of the day, feeling proud of what you’ve put together. I plan on soaking up as much information as I can from my peers and mentors and from the events that the YAM will host.

Lisa Ranallo: I believe a successful exhibition program—one that excites, challenges, and enriches lives, is possible through strong relationships. So much of my work depends on meaningful connections with artists, collectors, and others–so building relationships is central to my work and makes it possible for the museum to present different perspectives and speak to contemporary issues. I’ll also continue the museum’s ongoing efforts to diversify the collection, not only in media but to ensure representation that reflects our communities, past and present.

Celebrating 45 Years

SummerFair is a seasonal favorite for the Billings community. Now in its 45th year, SummerFair has become one of the largest arts and crafts festivals in the region, featuring artisan vendors from near and far. We are excited to announce that SummerFair is expanding to South Park to provide all our visitors and vendors with an optimal experience. South Park features mature trees throughout a larger footprint, a performance pavilion for this year’s entertainment lineup, a designated food truck court, and many other park amenities like a pool and a splash pad that draw in locals seeking summertime fun.

So Much to See, So Much to Do!

Again this year, visitors will enjoy a full weekend of culture, live music and entertainment, artistic demonstrations, local brews and the best food trucks in the area! Over 75 artists, community groups, and food vendors participate every year. Artist booths at SummerFair include painting, photography, pottery and ceramics, art from nature, glass, wood, metal, fiber art, body products, artisan foods and local organizations. All vendors’ products must be handmade, making it a perfect place to find sustainable and unique gifts for yourself or someone special while supporting artists and the Billings community.

Family Outing

SummerFair is always fun for the whole family with free admission for kids ages 6 and under. Plus, the YAM Education team will have craft supplies and activities for kids of all ages all weekend long. While SummerFair is a fundraiser for the museum, it truly meets the YAM’s mission by enriching the community through interactive experiences and creative exchange. It is also a weekend of cultural collaboration and a chance for the YAM to step into the community! SummerFair 2023 is sure to be another spectacular weekend in Billings and one you don’t want to miss!

Live music is back!

Friday Night sponsors:

Live music from Montana’s Favorite 7-piece Funk band Reverend Slanky from 5 – 8 PM.

Saturday Night

Live music from Outlaw Pop Country legends Calvin and the Coal Cars from 5 – 7 PM.

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YAM Teens, 3:30 – 5 PM

Women in Ranching panel discussion, 5 PM reception, 6 PM panel discussion

First Friday at the YAM, Gallery Talk by Richard Nelson, 5 – 8 PM, free museum admission

FAM at the YAM with Erika Wilson from Windy Mill Press, 4 – 6 PM

Adult Cooking Class: Curries Around the World, 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Curator’s Talk with Dr. Michele Corriel, 2 PM exhibition preview, 2:30 PM curator’s talk

Studio 2nd Saturday: Shifting Perspectives, 10 AM – 12 PM

Last day for Crow Agency 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade YAG Exhibition

YAM Teens, 3:30 – 5 PM

Christine Joy and Sara Mast: Passage Opens

Artist Talk with Christine Joy and Sara Mast, 5 PM reception, 6 PM artist talk

International Museum Day, Free Museum Admission

Adult Art Class: Prints and Pints with Shane De Leon, 5:30 – 7:30 PM

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Artist Talk with Barbara Van Cleve, 5 PM reception, 6 PM artist talk

First Friday at the YAM, 5 – 8 PM, free museum admission

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Summer Art Academy at Rocky Mountain College

Will James Birthday, Free Museum Admission

YAM Teens: Comic & Manga Workshop with Billings Public Library Teens, 3 – 5 PM

Last day for The Montana Modernists: Shifting Perspectives and Master Printer: Robert Blackburn

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Summer Art Academy at Rocky Mountain College

Connections at the Art Museum, 10:30 AM – 12 PM

YAM Teens, 3 – 5 PM

Summer Art Studio: Playing with Light Charcoal Drawing, Session 1: 10 AM–12 PM, Session 2: 1 – 3 PM

SummerFair at South Park 4 – 8 PM 24

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SummerFair at South Park 10 AM – 7 PM 24

Last day for Park City Elementary School Exhibition

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Park City Elementary School YAG Exhibition Opens

Connections at the Art Museum, 10:30 AM – 12 PM 20

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Adult Art Class: Pastel Workshop with Ev Bergeron, 10 AM – 4 PM

Adult Art Class: Prints and Pints with Shane De Leon, 5:30 – 7:30 PM

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SummerFair at South Park 10 AM – 4 PM

Last day for Through Her Lens: The Photographs of Barbara Van Cleve

Summer Art Studio: Painting Passages, Session 1: 10 AM – 12 PM, Session 2: 1 – 3 PM

Art Evolved: Intertwined (SAQA Global Exhibition) Opens

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Greybull Middle and High School YAG Exhibition Opens 05

YAM Teens, 3 – 5 PM 06

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Summer Art Studio: Fabric Collage, Session 1: 10 AM – 12 PM

Session 2: 1 – 3 PM

First Friday at the YAM with Christine Joy, 5 – 8 PM, free museum admission

Summer Art Studio: Whirling Wire Sculptures, Session 1: 10 AM – 12 PM

Session 2: 1 – 3 PM

Last day for Christine Joy and Sara Mast: Passage

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YAM Teens, 3 – 5 PM 20

Summer Art Studio: Miraculous Mobiles, Session 1: 10 AM – 12 PM

Session 2: 1 – 3 PM 21

Connections at the Art Museum, 10:30 AM – 12 PM

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YAM Camp for Ages 6 – 8, 9 AM – 3 PM

YAM Camp for Ages 9 – 12, 9 AM – 3 PM

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YAM Camp for Ages 9 – 12, 9 AM – 3 PM 03

Activating the Surface: Paul Harris Opens 02

YAM Teens, 3 – 5 PM 04

First Friday at the YAM, 5 – 8 PM, free museum admission

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Last day for Greybull Middle and High School YAG Exhibition

Connections at the Art Museum, 10:30 AM – 12 PM

Hardin Middle School YAG Exhibition Opens