- Museum Owner Katerina Burner and Curator Lana Simondsen
I’d found out about the Museum of Contemporary Art through a recent acquaintance who’d passed along the land mark and a suggestion that I take a look around. Not having had a chance to port over that day, I did the next and had a delightful visit with owner Katerina Burner and Curator Lana Simondsen. When I arrived at the site, there were two avatars working diligently, I assumed preparing items for an exhibition. I debated interrupting them and decided not as I prepared to walk the virtual me toward the museum entrance. Just then a text chat line appeared.
“Hello Nazz and welcome to the Museum, have you been here before?” Lana Simondsen asked.
“Hello Lana, thank you … No I hadn’t, this is my first visit.” I scanned around with the camera controls for a broader view and found myself standing on a flower lined brick walkway pointed toward the entrance. Ms Simondsen and a gentleman were to my left. “It’s a pretty garden … the flowers are Black Eyed Susans are they not.” I commented
“Well please enjoy the gallery.” She said and then added, “It is lovely isn’t it … and yes I think they are.”
“Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m a freelance journalist and blogger. I write for several publications and for Second Art. A friend gave me the LM and suggested I take a look around.” I said.
“Wonderful, I’m the curator here and this is Seleuma Snowpaw, one of the artists showing here … he has these amazing pieces here in the front area.” She said as she pointed them out to me.
The three of us exchanged pleasantries and comments on the art. Noting that they were busy, I excused myself and then added, “Perhaps when you have some time we can chat about the museum.”
“I could show you around now if you’d like and the owner is here too … introduce you to her as well.” She said and then asked me to follow her into the museum.
“How many artists are exhibiting?”
“There are ten artists showing right now. Kate is in back. I’ll TP you … it might be faster.” She said.
She did and I arrived at the back of the museum, where Lana introduced me to Katerina Burner.
“Please excuse the back of the gallery…we are under construction, the inside and front are far more serene” Katerina commented.
“How long has construction been going on?” I asked.
“This is day two … we recently expanded the property.” Ms Burner replied
“Can you tell me a little about the vision for the museum?” I asked.
“Yes of course … well like I tell many people we are proud of the fact that we like to incorporate what we consider to be many forms of contemporary art. We do not hold to rules, nor do we hold to a certain style of art … only that the works are original and from our friends in SL.” She replied and then added, “Perhaps we can show you around. Are you okay for time?”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.”
“Well this is our courtyard … normally this is where we would hold concerts and events.” She pointed me toward the area adjacent to the extension currently under construction. She then added, “The park next to it will be for our regularly scheduled poetry readings. Excuse me for one minute, the builders have a question.”
“I’ll show him the classroom.” Lana said and directed me toward a flight of stairs. We walked up and into it where she explained, “It’s a new build and we will be using it for smaller events … we have a fashion designer scheduled to lecture on history of fashion.”
“Who would the audience be for the lecture?” I asked.
“We are very excited to use this space … and well we have sent a MCA Group notice out so people will sign up for a seat and whoever else may be interested. While Kate is tied up with the builders … lets go back inside the main building.” Lana replied.
“Is this the main exhibition area?” I asked as we re-entered the museum building.
“We have lots of amazing artists showing here … There are three floors in the museum and besides the amazing pieces being shown there are weekly events.” She replied
“As the curator here, what are your responsibilities?” I asked.
“My responsibilities are to go out and meet artists, visit galleries, contact people to show their work here. I send notices and agreements … work with Kate and Scot in planning events.” She responded.
As she finished, Katerina had rejoined us and apologized for her having been called away. I asked her, “What was it that drew you into opening a museum?”
“I get to enjoy what I discover here. To be honest, I am drawn to creativity … whether its architecture, the art you see here, and sculpture … it fascinates me, at how remarkable people are. It is all encompassing, art, fashion and music. We will soon be showing an artist who designs 1920’s and 30’s ladies garments in SL. Her pieces are remarkable.”
“There are indeed many talented people in SL. You’d said something earlier about the work being all original, can you elaborate on that? I asked.
“Well yes … when we say original, we mean they can be RL works brought to SL … or they can also be works produced in SL.” She replied and then added, “But they are the invention of the person … not downloaded and copy works … most of artists here are RL artists … and those who are not, are expressing their artistic dreams in SL and we are here to help them show people what those of us who want to try are capable of.” She replied and then added, “We have only been here maybe two months but our artists also collaborate with each other … for instance we met one teen artist. She did not know how to even rezz a board to attach her work to … Luko, one of our sculptors and I spent time to teach her she was so happy when she saw her work as a canvas in SL. Shall we check the next two floors?”
“Has the museum had an official opening yet?” I asked as we moved up the stairs to the next floor.
“It was about three weeks ago I think … so when I say we are new, I am not kidding. The big thing is that we wanted a living breathing gallery and not just paintings on the walls. We also have a great rooftop patio … a gathering place, often people come here to just hang out and talk … artists, poets, locals and … well people … friends.” She replied and then added, “We are in the process of creating our website so that our members and those who are interested can be up to date.”
We toured the second floor where I purchased a floral piece as a gift for a friend and chatted briefly about it and the other works there.
“On the top floor we have an SL artist celebrity … do you know Feathers Boa?” Katerina asked.
“I’ve seen her works, she’s very talented.” I replied
“She made some specific pieces for our gallery, we have had her works in here amongst the longest … perhaps you might see something you have never seen elsewhere.” Katerina said.
“Her interactive pieces are amazing.” Ms Simondsen said.
We continued talking about the work of Ms Boa as we walked out onto the patio.
“This is where most of us hang out … here and on the lawn out front. We have our staff meetings here.” Katerina said.
I waited for the two ladies to sit before settling my virtual self onto a cushion. “This is a very nice set up.”
“It’s beautiful out here at sunset or midnight.” Lana commented.
“Thanks … well remember what I said … I wanted a place people would love to hang out … see art, meet people. I have been up here hours, with artists talking about their motivations for their work … swapping music.” Ms Burner said
“Just even us for girl talk.” Lana commented.
“After two months of being a museum owner what have been the hardest lessons?” I asked.
“Well … it is drawing the line between business and the love of the art. You know some people feel that you take away from the work when you involve business transactions. I think there is a fine line … we are not here to profit from the work. Not at all … but we rely on our friends and members to donate … take part in our functions … and of course we sell the art also, but we do not charge our artists to show. I show them how to best display their work. We send notifications and help expose them in the SL art world.” She replied.
“Looking out six to twelve months from now, where do you see the museum going?” I asked.
“I am hoping to have our website fully up and running … hardcore … construction done and setting up so that we have something going on every day. Right now we are limited to only three per week.” Ms Burner replied.
“How come?” I asked.
“Well you see, it takes time to find the right thing … the right people. It is difficult to find committed speakers and teachers. We were lucky to find Jeff Lowbeam … he is doing a reading on the lawn once a week now. He is permanently with us, every Tuesday.” She responded.
“I didn’t get a chance to tell you what a delight that was Kat.” Lana commented.
We continued the talk on the patio for another fifteen minutes before adjourning out to the front for a picture session. I took the picture and we returned to the back of the museum for a quick look at the work completed by the builders. After that I thanked both of them for taking the time to chat and for the tour. We exchanged goodbyes and I left, wishing them the best of luck in their endeavors.
