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Maycee Dukes
January 24, 2019
Patricia Hanson
Patricia Hanson Joins Museum Staff
There truly is no place like home. Athens constantly proves the truth of that proverb, with so many native Athenians finding that no matter how long they’re gone, all roads lead back to Athens in the end. This is the case for the most recent addition to the Georgia Museum of Art staff. Patricia Hanson, our new grants coordinator, was raised in Athens, and joined the museum team in November 2018.
Hanson left Athens to earn both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration from Brenau University. After completing her MBA, she spent 10 years in the Georgia Division of Family and Children’s Services, particularly with cases surrounding the elderly. Her time as a paralegal would help develop her writing skills.
In 2013, Hanson began working in the Office of Student Financial Aid at the University of Georgia. She later moved to the Georgia Center for Assessment in the College of Education and then to Sponsored Projects Administration. During this time, she earned a Grant Writing Certificate through the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, solidifying her interest in grant writing and leading her into the position she holds today.
Since being hired, she has been learning about the variety of exhibitions and collections the museum has to offer, and she’s now turning that knowledge into the development of proposals. These proposals are sent to partners and other potential donors who help make public exhibitions possible through both money and objects. For example, the Richard Hunt exhibition was sourced from many different collectors, who allowed the university to borrow Hunt’s works to be publicly displayed.
At the museum, Hanson feels she has finally found her place:
“This is more of the writing side, whereas Sponsored Projects was more involved with reviewing submissions and maintaining the award cycle. This is more pre-submission; we’re actually developing and writing a grant. That was my interest in coming here.”
She did get a nice added benefit, however. A self-proclaimed museum enthusiast, she made a point to visit museums everywhere she traveled. Now she’s in one every day.
“Having the opportunity to work [at the museum], it’s kind of a big deal for me. It’s kind of like, my dream job. Working here has given me firsthand knowledge and experience, and then I’m able to connect that with some of my visits.”
Hanson harbors great love for the city of Athens and is happy to live in the town that raised her. She is excited to continue her work at the museum and is working hard to continue to provide resources to further enhance its opportunities and development.