A Minute with Loren Hicks
/If you ever have a question about even the most minor detail about an item in the Polk Museum of Art’s permanent collection, Loren Hicks is your go-to contact! From the management of our permanent collection to the care and conservation of our artwork, Loren knows all the ins and outs (and all the secrets!) of the works of art that call the Museum home.
A little about Loren:
Loren is the Collections Manager and Registrar for the Museum. Hired in 2011, Ms. Hicks is responsible for the management and care of our 2,400-object permanent collection and Florida Southern College's 500-object American figurative art collection, which is housed at the Museum. She also manages the records pertaining to the permanent collection and any other artwork on the physical premises of the Museum, as well as donor records and artist records. Ms. Hicks holds a BA in Marketing from Southeastern University and a graduate certificate in Museum Collections Management and Care from The George Washington University.
What is it that you do at the Museum? As Collections Manager, I manage the hands-on problem-solving related to preserving artworks and artifacts in the Museum’s collection. This can include art handling, rehousing, housekeeping, packing, and preparation as well as managing environmental concerns like temperature, humidity, and light. In my role as Registrar, I am the record keeper maintaining the documentation associated with the collection.
What do you love most about your job? I have two favorite parts of my job. I really enjoy exhibition installations because it's a time for the curatorial staff to work together on a hands-on project, and they always turn out so beautifully. I also really enjoy finding and making long-term storage “homes” for works in the permanent collection. It's strangely satisfying [to find the resting spot for a work of art] — kind of like putting a baby safely in their crib or making a comfy dog bed for a puppy.
If you could switch jobs with someone else in the Museum for a day, who would it be and why? Probably Matt Belcher, our Preparator & Design Manager. He frames the artwork, selects exhibition wall colors, and lays out the exhibitions. He is incredibly good at what he does. I would enjoy using my creativity with hands-on projects and making a visible, pretty outcome.
Is there one job at the Museum that you wouldn’t want to do? Why not? Anything outside of the Curatorial Department. Sorry, guys! I like holding the art too much!
What do you do for fun outside of the Museum? I love snuggling my dogs. I have two small dogs and am currently fostering a sweet 6-month old Australian Shepherd puppy. I love baking when I get the chance. My husband and I are slowly fixing up our mid-century modern house, and I am enjoying that process.
What has been your favorite exhibition at the Museum? Well, that's hard. I'm not good at picking favorites. The Romaine Brooks exhibition was one of my more recent favorite exhibitions.
Share a story of one of your favorite Museum memories. When we were trying to figure out what the Von Wagner Chariot Race painting was, we had conservator Rustin Levenson from Art Care Conservation come to the Museum to examine and analyze the piece. We got to shut off all of the lights in the storage room and look at the painting under UV-light. Rustin showed us areas that had been painted over, possibly by a previous conservator. At the time, we didn't know what the painting was or who had painted it, so we were looking for any clues that would be helpful. [The painting, on permanent display at the Museum, was later determined to be by 19th century master Alexander von Wagner, as suspected.)
You're on a deserted island . . . choose one piece of artwork to take with you. I guess if I had to choose one piece, I'd pick Botticelli's Birth of Venus. I've always loved it, but a few years ago, my husband and I got to see the painting in Florence and it was a completely different experience seeing it in person. I hadn't realized before that Botticelli used gold leaf in highlights of Venus's hair and on her shell. The way that it gleamed made it seem so much more alive to me. It was mesmerizing.