ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Foundation Director
- Vice - Chair
Job Titles:
- Director of the Windgate Art School
As Director of the Windgate Art School, Beth Lambert is responsible for furthering a robust sixty-year art education legacy that started with the Arkansas Arts Center. Lambert began her current position in 2021 following a long history with the Museum; having taken her first art class at the Arkansas Arts Center as a child, she was eager to return after graduating from Hendrix College. In 2000, she took a ceramics class on a whim that changed the trajectory of her life.
In 2005, Lambert completed an apprenticeship with a teacher from the AAC, potter Clary Illian, who had herself been a student of Bernard Leach-the father of modern studio pottery. Shortly afterwards, she retired from a 20-year career in writing, marketing, and software engineering to pursue a career as a studio potter. After a decade of teaching at the AAC, Hendrix College, and Penland School of Crafts, Lambert accepted a position as Ceramic Department Chair and later, Associate Director of the Museum School for 3D programming. She was promoted to Director of the Windgate Art School in May of 2021.
Combining skills honed during the early part of her professional career with the discipline of a studio artist gives Lambert a unique understanding of the requirements for a thriving Art School. When speaking of the art school, she says, "This Museum has given me so much; I feel like I grew up here. Nearly every week, a student tells me that taking classes here and being a part of this community has changed their lives too." Practicing art deeply enhances our lives, and Beth sees it as her mission to continue this legacy of positive impact at AMFA.
Job Titles:
- Chief Curator and Windgate Foundation Curator of Contemporary Craft
Brian J. Lang joined the Museum in 2012 and plays a key role in creating and realizing the institution's strategic vision with the curatorial team. He is currently leading the development of the new visitor experience in the galleries, in which patrons are invited to make meaningful connections with art in a welcoming environment. Lang and his colleagues are committed to advancing the museum's national and international stature through original scholarship, compelling exhibitions, and strategic acquisitions.
In the last decade, Lang has assisted the Museum with earning re-accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and designing a transformational, reimagined Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. He has served as the coordinating curator for numerous national traveling exhibitions such as Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House (2013); 30 Americans (2015); Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art (2015); and The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design (2017). Lang has also organized multiple exhibitions on behalf of the Arkansas Arts Center, highlights include Ron Meyers: A Potter's Menagerie (2013); Interwoven: Craft (2013); Glass Fantasies: Enamels by Thom Hall (2018); Reveal/Conceal: Exploring Identity in Contemporary Art (2018); and Photographing Frida: Portraits of Frida Kahlo (2018).
Previously, Lang served as the curator of decorative arts at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, S.C. (2007-2012); museum curator at Dumbarton House, Washington D.C. (2000-2007); manager of operations at the Vance Kirkland Museum and Foundation in Denver, CO (1999-2000); and museum curator at the Hiwan Homestead Museum in Evergreen, CO (1995 - 1999). Lang earned BA degrees in anthropology and Spanish from Beloit College and a MA in art history from the University of Denver.
He is affiliated with a variety of professional organizations, including: the Association of Art Museum Curators, American Ceramics Circle, American Alliance of Museums, Decorative Arts Society, Decorative Arts Trust, English Ceramic Circle, among others.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Director of Development
- in 2022 As the Director of Development
Catherine Bays joined the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in 2022 as the Director of Development with an extensive 20-year background in philanthropy. Bays holds a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) designation and was invited to serve on the distinguished CFRE International Board. She also recently earned her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation.
Her love of the arts began with her classical ballet training, and she danced professionally with several ballet companies. Since then, she has continued supporting the arts and has found her passion fuses easily with her skills in non-profit management and fundraising.
Throughout her career, she has gained both regional and national experience in capital campaign leadership, strategic planning, and relationship building. Her prior professional experiences include her work at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation, and the Museum of Discovery.
Bays serves as an advisor for arts and dance organizations with missions that align with creative, equitable learning opportunities for youth.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Artist
- Director of Community Engagement
Chris Revelle joined the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts as the Director of Community Engagement in 2021. Revelle is focused on dynamic programming that connects all audiences to art and its educational potential. Along with the Department of Community Engagement, he develops programs that reimagine traditional approaches, activate the Museum in innovative ways, and provide multisensory experiences and teaching methods with the overarching goal of expanding partnerships within Arkansas and beyond while representing and welcoming our diverse community.
Revelle is also an interdisciplinary artist and educator. Within his studio practice, Revelle is focused on socially engaged work. Through the examination of history, language, and visual culture, Revelle's work confronts the failures and abuses of social, political, and economic systems. The goal of his practice is to challenge public memory/engagement while inspiring discourse and empathy. His solo exhibition Swing Low was named Best Virtual Exhibit for 2020 by Phoenix New Times, selected for the Idea Capital Grant in 2018, and a finalist for the 2017 Hong Kong Human Rights Art Prize. Revelle has exhibited in the United States, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Europe, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and India, and has created artwork for United Nations organizations.
As a professor of contemporary art practices and theories, Revelle is passionate about his students' success - emphasizing research, dialogue, and persistence - while balancing technical and conceptual development. He formerly served as the Chair of Fine Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong and was a Faculty Lecturer of Painting and Drawing at Arizona State University. Revelle earned his MFA from the School of Art at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) in Valencia, CA.
Job Titles:
- Collections Research Center
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Foundation Director
- Secretary
A strategic leader in the museum field with more than 20 years of executive-level experience, Dr. Victoria Ramirez is helping to guide the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts through an historic transformation - expanding its historic MacArthur Park campus and reimagining its programming. Working closely with AMFA leadership, she is helping to build an inclusive, accessible institution ready to reach new audiences while honoring its rich legacy.
In her extensive career, Dr. Ramirez has developed exhibitions and education programs, led renovation projects, and launched digital initiatives to increase museum attendance and engagement. She has also played an integral role in fundraising, securing support from significant national foundations and major corporations.
Dr. Ramirez came directly to AMFA from her position as director of the El Paso Museum of Art, a municipal museum that serves community members of all ages. Previously, she served as director of the Bullock Texas State History Museum. She was also the W.T. and Louise J. Moran Education Director at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where she oversaw long-range planning and taught art history and appreciation to children and adults.
In 2022, Arkansas Money & Politics featured Dr. Ramirez among its "Top C-Suite Executives." A champion for diversity and inclusion in the arts, she is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and the American Alliance of Museums and a frequent speaker at museum conferences and events. She also serves on the board of directors for the Downtown Little Rock Partnership.
Dr. Ramirez holds a doctorate from the University of Houston, a master's degree from George Washington University, and a bachelor's from the University of Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Board Member of Keep Little Rock Beautiful
- Director of Facilities and Security
- in 2018 As the Director of Facilities & Security
Erik Swindle joined the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in 2018 as the Director of Facilities & Security. Having worked in facilities operations and construction for over twenty years, he has dedicated his career to sustainable operations and environmentally responsible construction projects both nationally and internationally. Utilizing innovative technology to maximize energy efficiencies and ensuring the museum is at the forefront of building operations guarantees the longevity of the building for our guests, employees, and cultural partners.
Swindle is a board member of Keep Little Rock Beautiful, promoting native landscape, stormwater management, sustainable design, and management of city parks and city streets. His prior experience includes the development of Heifer International's LEED Platinum campus and numerous energy conservation construction jobs - spanning from education to nonprofit infrastructure - with a focus on cost reduction measures and operation efficiencies. He previously served as President of the Arkansas Associate of Energy Engineers to promote energy conservation measures and sustainability in the engineering field and has been a lecturer for the University of Memphis Architectural School Master's Program of Sustainability, which focuses on sustainable design of systems and utilizing natural elements to reduce energy consumption in buildings.
Swindle's projects have been featured in several architectural and engineering textbooks covering water security and management in urban redevelopment. He holds several certifications in engineering and building systems management. Swindle has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Harding University. After graduation, he changed his focus to Environmental Engineering with an emphasis on water conservation and reclamation, building systems, and operations efficiencies.
Job Titles:
- Director of Children 's Theatre and Performing Arts
Erin Larkin has been at the Museum since 2004 and has worked on over 80 shows with AMFA's Children's Theatre company. Theatre for young audiences has been Larkin's principal artistic genre for nearly 20 years. As a costume designer, she has also worked on independent films, operas, and adult theatre.
In her role as Director of Children's Theatre and Performing Arts, she seeks to create enriching cross-disciplinary connections between exhibitions, performing arts, and educational programming to enhance the museum experience.
Larkin's commitment to creating partnerships, new theatrical works, and presenting the best of performing arts offerings is at the core of reimagining the theatre's traditional programming.
Her passion is continuing the 40-year tradition of artistic excellence and educational outreach in children's theatre at the Museum. She works to leverage the power of the imagination and lead the performing arts department into a new era of innovation.
Job Titles:
- Ex Officio Trustee
- Mayor of the City of Little Rock
Job Titles:
- Foundation Director
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Foundation Director
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Deputy Director
Laine Harber joined the Museum staff in 2010 and currently serves as Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
He manages the organization's business and behind-the-scenes functionality. His responsibilities include finance and accounting, building operations, risk management, information technology, human resources, and strategic planning. Harber has streamlined back-of-house operations and manages a budget process that enforces cross-departmental responsibility and consistent results in achieving balanced budgets.
Prior to joining AMFA, Harber held leadership and executive roles for thirteen years at two large telecommunications corporations where he managed budgets and served as finance liaison to operations throughout the country.
After graduating from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a minor in telecommunications and information systems management, Harber began his career as an auditor with a Big Five public accounting firm and successfully completed the Uniform CPA Examination
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
Malina Tabor joined the communications department at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in 2021 and was promoted to the Director of Marketing and Communications in 2022. She leads all communications, campaigns, and brand management for the Museum and works to create engagement with the diverse voices in our community.
Tabor's marketing skills have catalyzed growth in many industries, including construction and advanced technologies. She spent eight years in banking and finance with the bulk of that experience as the VP/Marketing Director for Delta Trust & Bank. She has ushered several companies through mergers and is well-versed in large-scale communication planning.
In 2018, she decided to pursue a career outside of the corporate world and began freelancing as a marketing and creative director. She became the creative stylist for Soiree magazine, as well as a monthly contributor and feature writer. During this time, Tabor also served as the marketing and communications director for the Elaine Massacre Memorial in Helena, Arkansas.
She is a Leadership of Greater Little Rock graduate and has a bachelor's degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from Arkansas State University.
AMFA's new 2,800-SF full-service restaurant Park Grill has indoor seating and a covered outdoor dining terrace, and a private dining room. Its dramatic, full-height windows offer immersive views of the new landscape and MacArthur Park.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director and Director of Membership and Guest Services
Spencer Jansen has been building and engaging membership, annual support, and affinity groups at the Museum since 2014.
In his role as Deputy Director, he continues developing membership while overseeing the guest experience areas of the Museum Store, restaurant programming, box office operations, and data management systems. He "looks forward to creating a truly welcoming and remarkable experience for guests" at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
Jansen grew up in the classrooms and galleries of the Arkansas Arts Center, which fostered his love for the arts and led him to pursue a fine arts degree from Lyon College. After college, he served as the programming and outreach coordinator for the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation. He continued to pursue his creative passions as a studio artist while working as a consultant on Raiser's Edge for various nonprofits and as a photographer for multiple publications.
Jansen was recently featured in two books: Museum Membership Innovation by Rosie Siemer highlights his work in membership, and Fly Fishing for the Soul: Tales of a White River Guide by Hank Wilson features his photography.
Job Titles:
- Foundation Director
- President
- Board of Trustees President
Job Titles:
- Ex Officio Trustee
- Mayor of the City of North Little Rock
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Foundation Director
- Chairman, President, and CEO of Stephens Inc
Harriet and Warren Stephens have been deeply involved with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts for more than 40 years. As co-chairs of the current capital campaign (Reimagining the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts), they have spearheaded the historic transformation of AMFA's main building and grounds in Little Rock's MacArthur Park. Under their leadership, the capital campaign has far exceeded its initial goal, raising a total of more than $150 million to date in support of the museum. Harriet and Warren both formerly served on AMFA's Board of Trustees as president and chair, and are members of the AMFA Foundation Board of Directors, which Warren currently serves as president. Harriet chairs the AMFA Building Committee, which for six years has been integrally involved with every aspect of the building design, construction, and relaunch.
Warren is chairman, president, and CEO of Stephens Inc., a privately owned diversified financial services firm headquartered in Little Rock. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and the Wake Forest School of Business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. While serving on the Washington and Lee Board of Trustees, he led the school's capital campaign, which raised more than $542 million, the second largest fundraising effort ever by a liberal arts school. In addition, Warren led the Arkansas Repertory Theatre's capital campaign to renovate the organization's theater, and served on the board of the Central Arkansas Boys and Girls Club. He has been active in many economic development initiatives in Little Rock, including the renovation of the historic Capital Hotel, and served on several industry and corporate boards, currently including Dillard's.
Harriet is a graduate of Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In addition to her work at AMFA, she has served on numerous boards, including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Institute on Aging, Easter Seals, and the Cathedral School. A long-time supporter of the arts, Harriet is also active in preservation, having served on the national board of Stratford Hall, one of the most historically and architecturally significant homes in early America.
In addition to their support for AMFA and the broader arts community, the Stephenses' philanthropy includes a wide range of education initiatives. Significantly, their support and leadership helped to establish the Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock. Harriet is past president and current co-vice-president of the school's Board of Trustees, and serves on the school's foundation, of which Warren is president.
Harriet and Warren are avid arts patrons and collectors, and their connection to AMFA is personal and deeply rooted: Warren's father, Jackson T. Stephens, one of the museum's major supporters, loaned many works from his personal collection to the museum, where they have been accessible to the public for almost 20 years. In recognition of their longstanding dedication to AMFA and the communities it serves, Warren and Harriet were awarded the organization's Winthrop Rockefeller Memorial Award in 2005. Named for the former governor of Arkansas, an instrumental figure in AMFA's establishment, the award is the highest honor for service bestowed by the museum.