In June, the Georgia Museum of Art welcomed Kelsey Siegert as its William J. Thompson Curatorial Fellow of American Art. This is a new position that involves preparing an exhibition and creating a catalogue raisonné for the works of William J. Thompson (1926 – 1995), a renowned sculptor, printmaker and professor at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at UGA.
Born in Denver, Colorado, Thompson studied art at Rhode Island School of Design and received his master of fine arts degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Arts in Michigan. At the invitation of then-director Lamar Dodd, Thompson taught at UGA’s art school from 1964 to 1983, where the sculpture studio was named in his honor. He is best known locally for “Spirit of Athens,” a sculpture in downtown Athens outside City Hall that he created in conjunction with the 1996 Olympic Games.
The museum owns many works by Thompson, most notably his sculpture “Archangel,” which was recast by artists, donated by his family and placed at the museum’s main entrance in 2023.
Siegert received her bachelor’s degree in art history from Seattle University and recently graduated from the Lamar Dodd School of Art with a master’s degree in art history. Her thesis, “Vision in the Darkened Room: Science and Spirit in the Art of Georgiana Houghton,” explored the Victorian medium and artist’s early abstract watercolors within the context of 19th century theories of the scientific invisible (i.e., electricity, the telegraph, theories of the fourth dimension).
Siegert has family in the South but didn’t grow up here. She has a special appreciation for material culture produced in the South, however, because it improves her understanding of the region’s history. That’s part of what motivated her to apply for this fellowship. The other part — her academic interests in spirituality and transatlantic art and exchange — connects her curiosity about the South’s people and history with her ability to tell the stories of artists who lived before her.
“There is a tension between tradition and experimentation present in Thompson’s work that I found really attractive,” said Siegert. “Additionally, Thompson’s faith and relationship with spirituality drew me to his work. This fellowship, and in particular the preparation of Thompson’s catalogue raisonné, is an exciting opportunity to tell this artist’s story.”
On her first day working at the museum, Siegert began working on a comprehensive list of Thompson’s works and cross-referencing that list with ones in the museum’s collection. These responsibilities are familiar to her as she came in with plenty of experience; she’s worked as a curatorial fellow at UGA’s Dodd Galleries and Athenaeum.
“I had the pleasure of acting as curator and assisting on exhibitions of work from visiting artists, colleagues and distinguished faculty,” she said. “My role also allowed me to liaise with artists, galleries and university staff, and draft institutional texts. Additionally, I worked as a preparator, handling and installing artworks, and managed a staff of undergraduate work-study students.”
Siegert’s goals during this fellowship are to further her knowledge and understanding of fine and decorative arts from the American South. When she’s not hard at work, you can find her wandering through antique malls and estate sales, reading, swimming or crocheting.
Authored by:
Jessica Doane
