In Practice: Spring 2021

From Executive Director Johanna Burton:

March was my second anniversary at the Wex, and with it came a moment to consider why supporting extraordinary artists alongside this institution’s passionate (and compassionate) staff is so meaningful. It was a time to think about what we can do to continue our ongoing efforts of being responsive, accessible, and open. 

Our inaugural issue of In Practice dove into the connections we forge each and every day at the Wex. Connecting with audiences and artists, connecting with the community, connecting with the world writ large. This edition looks at the various ways we offer points of entry and safe passage, if you will, into and through the center itself. 

In the following pages, you’ll hear directly from artists about how our Film/Video Studio continued offering support during the pandemic, holding open a nurturing, creative space where filmmakers could utilize resources even under the constraints of physical distancing. We look at 15 years of our Pages program—an innovative multidisciplinary initiative developing literacy and writing skills through the exploration of contemporary art—and its sustained impact in high schools across the region. There’s also a conversation with Lucy I. Zimmerman, curator of Climate Changing: On Artists, Institutions, and the Social Environment, on how our current exhibition questions what a museum is and how it can better serve those who enter by engaging deeply with issues of access and equity—two key focal points of our work here. 

This issue will also introduce you to our new Accessibility Manager, Helyn Marshall. Helyn’s a familiar face to our regular guests, having worked at the Wex in various capacities since 2005. You’ll learn a bit from her about how this newly created targeted role will amplify and enhance the ways we can welcome and listen to our audience. 

It’s a full issue, one that I hope you find as meaningful as I do.