Meet the Staff: Gallery Curator, Maggie Lyon
Q: What is your name and role at ArtUs Co?
Maggie Lyon holding an original piece titled “Shapeshifter (What I Don’t Have, What I Wish I Was, What I’m Not).” Photo by Morgan Travieso.
A: My name is Maggie Lyon and I am the gallery curator at ArtUs Co. I started at ArtUs Co in April 2021 as a sales associate. I had the opportunity to shadow our previous curator during this time for exhibit installations and the everyday tasks that fall into the role. In June, the position became available, and I was able to naturally step into the role due to the shadow experience and supportive leadership we have at ArtUs Co.
Q: What goes into your role? How do you go about finding/deciding on who to feature for solo shows? What do you look for?
A: I tend to wear many hats. With the gallery shows, I always consider our applications online, but I also like to do my own research, meaning either I will find artists on social media, or I will go to art openings and just meet people, by word of mouth, art magazines, etc. We’re focusing on Texas artists right now, specifically Austin, but with our gallery we don’t always do Austin. Once I find an artist whose work I’m interested in, I’ll ask to do a studio visit, just because it’s sometimes difficult to really know their work just over the internet or from their pictures. I’ll get to know the artist, as well, because that’s just as important to me. We want to represent the artist themselves just as much as their work. We want to be proud of who they are.
Q: Tell me about your favorite part of the job.
A: My favorite part of the job is the day of an exhibit installation. After all of the hard work and preparation we put into a show, we finally get to see our visualization come to life. The expression on the artist’s face is priceless every time. This moment makes everything worth it.
Q: What are you most likely to be doing when you’re not working?
A: When I am not working, you can most likely find me painting in my studio. The medium that has held my heart since college is oil, but I also enjoy working in acrylics and watercolor.
Q: How did you end up at ArtUs Co?
Lyon at the exhibition opening for Jacob Guzman’s show, “Introspection and Fortitude.” Photo by Kaiti Neuman.
A: I actually found ArtUs Co through an ad for an open studio space. I started renting my studio here in December 2020 and had my first duo show in our gallery in March. The more I got involved as an artist, the more I wanted to get involved behind the scenes. ArtUs Co is the kind of organization that I had always visualized myself in; one that is advocative for local artists and fosters a community that I had been missing since graduating art school.
Q: Do you have a favorite vendor at the moment?
A: This is such a difficult question, because I have so, so many. We have such a wide variety of vendors and artists, there is something for everyone. My favorite vendor at the moment is Waffles, the Kaiju Company Mascot.
Q: What kinds of things do you see yourself doing in the future?
A: In this position, I have found a new passion for working with artists and giving their art a platform it deserves. I hope to live a life full of helping others; especially in the arts. I imagine I will always be an artist; I hope to continue to share my work as it develops over my lifetime. I try to continually fill my life with art and beauty, and we’ll see where that takes me.
Lyon installing pieces for Jacob Guzman’s exhibition, “Introspection and Fortitude.” Photo by Kaiti Neuman.
Lyon requested that a picture of Waffles the Corgi be included. Waffles in front of the Kaiju Cut & Sew display at ArtUs Co. Photo courtesy of @kaijucutandsew on Instagram.