Région 6 Commissaire

Rencontrez votre commissaire 

Quel est l'impact des arts sur vous ?

I’ve been lucky enough to have been surrounded by the arts my entire life. History and archaeology were my first loves, but it wasn’t until college that I realized material culture — the physical objects people create — are woven into every aspect of our history and shape how we understand our world. The arts create belonging, preserve our traditions, and allow us to express our emotions. They connect us to our past, to each other, and to ourselves.

Quel impact les arts ont-ils eu sur les Virginiens ?

I work with a lot of rural, underserved communities, and witnessing creativity despite limited access to the arts is a beautiful reminder that art is a vital part of our humanity and our shared experiences. Art is an inherent part of who we are.

Qu'est-ce qui pourrait surprendre quelqu'un à votre sujet ?

I lived in England! After college, I moved to Bournemouth, which is 2 hours south of London. I lived there for around 2 years, and that experience is one I’d do all over again.

Si vous pouviez être un artiste de classe mondiale, que feriez-vous ?

I would love to be a fashion designer – but not in today’s day and time. I would want to work with Charles Frederick Worth in the 1890s, Paul Poiret in the 1910s, Jeanne Lanvin in the 1920s, or Alexander McQueen in the 1990s.

Si vous deviez dire quel est votre superpouvoir, quel serait-il ?

Being able to identify dates on historic clothing! Probably not really a superpower, since I’ve made it part of my career, but it’s really satisfying being able to look at an extant garment and immediately be able to say when it was worn.

---

Ashley is the Executive Director and Curator with the Historical Society of Western Virginia, which operates both the Roanoke History and the O. Winston Link Museums in Roanoke, Virginia. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Anthropology and History from Longwood University, and received her MA with distinction in Museum Studies from Bournemouth University in Dorset, England. Her training in the UK influenced her tangible and inclusive exhibition design, incorporating both art and history into memorable and approachable museum experiences.

In addition to her full-time job with the Historical Society, Ashley works with several southwest Virginia museums as a freelance museum collections specialist, including the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech and the Taubman Museum of Art. She is a Director-at-Large with the Virginia Association Museums, and has guest curated exhibitions throughout central and southwest Virginia. Her biggest passion is historic fashion, and she owns Bustle Textiles – a historic dress preservation company with an emphasis on creating affordable traveling exhibitions for small museums.

You are welcome to reach out to Ashley via her VCA email with non-grant related questions, event invites, or to share your arts-related news.