05/22/2026
Tonight! Join us for an evening of Art, Memory & Anecdote: FRIDAY, MAY 22, 5:30–6:30 | IN CONVERSATION: REFLECTIONS & ANECDOTES With John R. Stomberg, Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director of the Hood Museum of Art, and Katherine W. Hart, retired Senior Curator of Collections and Curator of Academic Programming, Hood Museum of Art. Stomberg and Hart to reflect on their careers through intimate, story-driven questions. The discussion moves from professional near-misses — works they tried but failed to acquire — to unexpected discoveries that stopped them cold. They explore how visitors, students, and donors have reshaped their understanding of art, and which single object in the Hood's collection continues to reward close attention. Lighter moments surface too, including behind-the-scenes stories of things going memorably wrong. It closes with an open, enduring question each has carried throughout their career — about art, collecting, and the deeper purpose of museums. Together, the questions paint a portrait of two lives spent in devoted service to art.
