CURATING CHANGE
JULIANNE MIAO AND THE TRIANGLE AREA ARTS COMMUNITY
Julianne Miao is an Associate Curator at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. But her work goes far beyond that. As a member of the BASEMENT ArtSpace collective, she has immersed herself in the Triangle arts community. From studio visits to art walks, she is constantly discovering, curating, and working alongside local artists. Much of her work in the community focuses on bringing attention and recogniton to said local artists. Through her and her work, this photo story focused on breaking the barriers to the arts industry. In my own future career, I hope to create a space where people of all ages and backgrounds feel connected and have access to the art world. Its exclusive nature will no longer function in today’s age of technology and need for information. Julianne is working towards this goal in her own community. It’s through people like her that we can start to make a difference.
Phantom Limb: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2025 is a temporary exhibit at the Ackland Art Museum at UNC Chapel Hill. Curated by Julianne, it brings together the themes of intense loss grappled with, though differently, in each of the four bodies of work. Having already established relationships with the artists, she was excited to create a temporary home for their labors of love. This is just one of the many ways that she engages with the arts in academia, which is one of the foundational pillars of the Triangle area arts community.
For the Second Friday ArtWalk on April 11th event showcasing Phantom Limb, Julianne, and the Ackland set up a collage night in conjunction with the artist and curator talks. This allowed visitors to stop by and make art themselves. She spent a lot of time sitting with the artists, students, and visitors who came in not just to collage but to discuss the exhibit. Here, she had several conversations surrounding the state of this local arts community and how its reach could be broadened to invite a wider audience.
Dominique Moñoz of Falls Church Va. “is a visual artist who uses photographic language to engage with personal and collective memory.” This work of his took up the entire corner of the room with a wallpaper he created himself out of the pattern from his childhood blanket. He deconstructs childhood photos of himself and his peers to call out the masks that society makes us wear, starting in childhood. Julianne was intentional in introducing him to some of her curatorial peers from the Nasher, helping him plant seeds for opportunities in the area. Part of their practice together in showing this piece was for it to be almost interactive with the audience, making sure to bring in students, classroom field trips, etc for them to experience it.
Bowbarr is a pillar of the Carrboro, N.C. arts community. Owned by John Bowman and Amanda Barr, its long life as Carrobor’s “artist dive” has come to an end. Julianne has been coming to Bowbarr for years, and chose it to enjoy a drink and a chat with friend and UNC Chapel Hill Art History student, Michael Baird of Lexington, Ky. Heading back to enjoy the patio, the pair came across John and his friends reminiscing. John is a collage artist and has grown his practice alongside the Bowbarr arts community. It’s sad to see this place go, but though it can never be replaced, Julianne is already thinking about how to get a new hub up and running.
Julianne bridges the space between arts and activism in the Triangle area. Sitting down to catch up with friend and climate activist April Lamb, of China Grove, N.C., they discussed how April can get more involved in the local arts scene. She is looking to exchange with artists interested in climate activism and who reflect that in their work. Growing up in an extremely small town, April never felt like she belonged in arts spaces when introduced to them as an adult. In meeting Julianne, she has become more comfortable in such spaces and is now ready and willing to immerse herself further in relation to her work.
Julianne’s personal and professional lives are perpetually intertwined. Her love of art and involvement in the community ebbs and flows through every area of her life. Finding herself so often engaging with people in the arts, she likes to take time to reflect on her role both in this community and in the art world more broadly.
As she steps into the Nasher’s giant elevator, Julianne prepares for another day's work in the Triangle area arts scene. She is more than a curator; she is a beacon and a bridge for artists and community members to learn and experience this thriving culture. With each interaction, she works towards opening the doors to the art world and welcoming everyone in with open arms.