Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Brady Stimpert.
Hi Kathleen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Art is transformative. Literally. Research has found that making or engaging with art can positively impact mental and physical health, even down to the cellular level. I have always intuitively understood this, finding art to be a source of inspiration and comfort, and a universal language for opening hearts and minds.
For those reasons, I’ve spent my career serving cultural institutions. I started in New York galleries, selling contemporary and secondary market artworks. Later I served as communications director for the National Academy, one of the country’s oldest museums. I moved to Austin (for the second time!) in 2005, and joined the City’s Cultural Arts Division, working in the Art in Public Places Program. After that, I worked at The Blanton for 8 years as Director of PR and Marketing, then returned to the City to manage Austin’s UNESCO designation and cultural tourism plan. Since 2019, I have served as Deputy Director of Landmarks, UT’s public art program. I feel lucky to be able to share our world-class collection with students and faculty, and the greater Austin community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After graduating college with a degree in Art History, I moved to Austin, At that time (1996), the arts community was miniscule. The Austin Museum of Art (which morphed into The Contemporary Austin) was the biggest game in town, and there were a handful of galleries. I was unable to find work in my field, which ultimately led me to move to New York.
New York is amazing, for all the reasons your readers understand, but it is also a very difficult place to live–especially as a young person working in the arts. I was always broke, the weather was sometimes unbearable, and the frenetic pace of life often wore me down. But it is the art capital of the world, and my experiences living and working there are among the best memories of my life.
When I returned to Austin in 2005, I was thrilled to find that it had become more mature, artistically, and there were many more opportunities to work in the arts.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am proud of the contributions I’ve been able to make to Austin’s cultural evolution. I’ve been part of developing many fantastic projects that have expanded the city’s understanding and appreciation of the arts. I’ve also been privileged to serve on the advisory boards of KMFA (Austin’s classical radio station) and The Trail Conservancy.
Additionally, I’ve written articles for the Austin Chronicle, Glasstire, and other publications, and participated as a speaker at several cultural symposia in Austin, and as a selection panelist for city cultural art projects,
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m a political junkie so some of my favorite podcasts include The Ezra Klein show and the New Yorker’s Radio Hour. I also love cultural podcasts such as Think and Fresh Air.
I prefer books and magazines in hardcopy and subscribe to Vanity Fair and Nautilus. I also read several art magazines each month.
Growing up, one of the most influential books on me was Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet.” I’m also crazy about Southern writers, including Flannery O’Connor and John Kennedy Toole.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.landmarksut.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenbradystimpert/
- Other: https://landmarksut.org
Image Credits
Please credit Paul Bardagjy for artwork images from the Landmarks collection.
