Kendall Rogers
Rogers got her start in the art world by organizing art shows in the Athens community that were centered around the concept of accessibility. She found that traditional gallery shows could be intimidating and wanted everyone to feel welcome when viewing or discussing art. These days, you can see some of exhibitions she organizes art at the Rook and Pawn, a local games centric café downtown. Twice a year, Rogers organizes an art party there with food and music, accompanied by works on view by a variety of artists. She also helps run the Athens Art Supply Trade, a local group that focuses on reclaimed art supply trading and donations.
At the museum, Rogers works across a variety of departments and enjoys seeing and understanding how the museum acts as a system. Rogers is most excited to work with youth and public programming. It’s fascinating to see everything that happens to organize a program, she said, and she’s eager to be involved in facilitating an accessible environment for everyone visiting the museum.
An artist herself, Rogers enjoys oil painting and often incorporates overlayed text and jarring or unexpected neon colors into her works. She recently exhibited her own work at the Lyndon House Juried Exhibition. Her other creative passion is cooking and baking. “It’s my love language,” she said. “I make dinner every night and invite friends, neighbors and anyone who wants to have dinner to my house. I love it.”
Kaitlyn Loyd
Loyd was first introduced to working in the art and museum field as a student docent and intern at the Georgia Museum of Art while she was an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia. Her love of art and experience as a visitor to the museum ultimately compelled her to engage with the behind-the-scenes processes at the museum. Loyd has also interned with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s education department and worked at K-6 schools and virtual TEFL K-12 classrooms. She also served as a curator at the Red Finch Gallery and was executive director of a local non-profit in Salt Lake City, Utah before returning to Athens.
In her new role at the museum, Loyd oversees K-12 programs and youth and family events. Loyd is looking forward to developing the fall 5th Grade Tours program, a longstanding educational program with the Georgia Museum of Art and Clarke County schools. “It’s an exciting chance to create a fun museum experience that has the potential to spark an interest in art and inspire a long-lasting positive affiliation with museums,” she said.
Now that she is back in Athens, Loyd looks forward to becoming more involved in the community. Her favorite hobbies are painting and hiking. She is particularly excited to enjoy new culinary experiences and explore new restaurants in Athens.
We are thrilled to welcome Rogers and Loyd to the museum staff. We are excited to see how their unique insight, love of art and commitment to accessibility help enhance our programs and work at the museum.
Authored by:
Isabel Davis
