This is an installment of a weekly interview series, on the Culture Comment blog. It’s called “Behind-the-Scenes.” Each week, we’ll discuss new facts and information about the people that make the Walters Art Museum tick. Now, let’s meet Sarah Walton.
Gary Vikan: What do you do at the Walters?
Sarah Walton: I am the Manager of Foundation and Government Relations in the Development Division.
GV: What do you do?
SW: I am responsible for preparing and submitting foundation and government grants for the museum. Working with a cross-divisional team of curators, conservators, educators and marketing staff, I develop and implement grant proposals that support the Walters’ educational programs, annual operations, special exhibitions and capital projects. In addition, it is my responsibility to organize events and meetings throughout the year with elected officials and political operatives in Maryland to make sure they know about the great work we are doing throughout the state.
GV: How did you get your position?
SW: I was moving to Baltimore from D.C. in the fall of 2007, and the timing was perfect. This position was posted online, and I went for it. The rest is history. I think that my past experience on Capitol Hill and with an advocacy group helped develop the communication skills that were necessary to be the museum’s grant writer.
GV: What type of training do you need?
SW: Being able to effectively communicate in person and on paper is an important part of being a successful grant writer. I was taught these skills in college but learned through my previous employers.
GV: What is the biggest challenge in your job?
SW: One of my biggest challenges is also one of the things I enjoy best about my job—deadlines. Nothing feels better than to click submit on a grant and to check a deadline off my list. However, there are several deadlines on my list!
GV: What other education or careers have you had?
SW: I graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and moved to D.C. two weeks after graduation to work for Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson. As her Legislative Assistant, I was responsible for interpreting sometimes very complex issues to her constituents. While in D.C., I also worked for a lobbyist at Bryan Cave Strategies and in the press department at an advocacy group called the ONE Campaign.
GV: What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on in your career?
SW: I organized two press conferences in St. Louis and Little Rock and helped with a national launch of ONE Vote ’08 in D.C. for the ONE Campaign. This involved working with politicians, celebrities, media contacts, consultants and staff. I had to think through every single detail and working hard to make sure the events accomplished their primary objective was a real thrill.
GV: What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on at the Walters?
SW: Federal grants are always interesting to me. There is a lot of time and energy spent preparing those grants, and I get to really dive into the project with my partner and learn about a very specific part about the museum. For instance, I worked on a grant to the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support the upcoming special exhibition, Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe, and its educational programming. Let’s just say that after working on that project with the curator of medieval art, I know a lot about those special containers known as reliquaries!
GV: What is your favorite piece in the Walters’ collection and why?
SW: Judith Cutting Off the Head of Holofernes by Trophime Bigot. The first time I visited the Walters I couldn’t stop staring at this work of art. I was mesmerized by the story and the way it is being told through this painting.
GV: What is your favorite story involving the Walters?
SW: Free admission. The museum, city, county and state rallied together to help advance the Walters’ mission to bring art and people together—and what a success story!
Do you have a question you would like to ask? If so, let’s hear about it in the comments!
Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Art Museum since 1994, has been with the Baltimore institution for more than 20 years. A native of Minnesota, Gary received his B.A. from Carleton College in 1967 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1976 before working as Senior Associate for Byzantine Art Studies at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C.