We recently connected with Nicole Lampl and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I think one of the most meaningful exhibitions that I curated is “Women’s Work: New Takes on Textile Art” – not only because it included artwork by phenomenal female artists from all over the country, but also because of the way audiences responded. One day, a police officer stopped into the gallery several months after that exhibition had closed, and he shared with me how much a particular artwork had stuck with him. It was a piece by artist Morgan Bukovec that was composed of several guest check pads – ones she actually used while working as a server to write down orders – that were cross-stitched with actual comments male patrons had said to her while working.

Although some comments initially appear innocuous – like “sweet thing” or “doll face” – it’s the accumulation of commentary that transforms something seemingly innocent into something deeply troubling. With the least offensive comments read first, most viewers interpreted them as comical, often stifling giggles when seeing phrases like “you’re a snack.” But as their gaze shifted upward, they soon realized that the statements were getting progressively more offensive and inappropriate – suddenly it was no laughing matter. Many viewers expressed repulsion and were embarrassed by their initial reactions once they read comments like “Do your tits sag?” and “I want to hump you.”

It was a very impactful piece, especially for male viewers who realized that they had themselves been guilty of saying some of these comments to female servers in the past. This was the case for that police officer who shared that the artwork immediately brought to mind an interaction he had several years ago. He yelled “hey babe” to get the attention of a female bartender, and was dumbfounded by her angry response. This artwork helped him better understand that even seemingly harmless comments can have painful consequences for these women when they are bombarded with inappropriate interactions on a daily basis.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been living in Atlanta for the past 4 years, and have been working as the Director/Curator at the Reeves House Visual Arts Center for 2.5 years. I’m originally from Los Angeles, but I moved to Northern California to attend UC Berkeley, where I earned my B.A. in Art History and Studio Art, and spent a semester abroad in Paris to attend an arts program. After graduating, I spent a few years working at prominent commercial art galleries in San Francisco, while also pursuing a variety of independent projects to expand my experience: volunteering with a non-profit arts organization, freelancing as a curator, and pursuing an art practice of my own. After several years of experience in various facets of the art world, I decided to further my education, which led me to the M.A. program at Tulane University in New Orleans. While in graduate school, I worked as a Curatorial Fellow at the New Orleans Museum of Art, and was awarded a year-long Research Fellowship at Freie Universtät in Berlin to perform research for my thesis about depictions of pregnancy in the work of Gustav Klimt. After receiving my Master’s degree in 2018, I was offered a position at an art consulting firm in Atlanta, which is what initially brought me to Atlanta.

As the Director/Curator at the Reeves House Visual Arts Center, I come up with exhibition concepts, research artists to include, coordinate shipping, install the artwork, and create all the written exhibition material. In addition to exhibition planning, I also plan and coordinate a wide variety of public programming. My goal with every exhibit is to show something unexpected – whether that’s a motion activated robot adorned with quivering magenta feathers, or a rose-colored rotary phone that plays a recording of the artist’s grandmother explaining her biscuit recipe in a lilting Southern accent. Visually and conceptually weaving together narratives is the most fulfilling part of my job – it’s where the show either dazzles or fizzles, and where the role of the curator really shines. I know a show is a success when people walk away inspired, challenged, and enriched by their experience.

I also work as an independent curator on a variety of projects. I am currently working with the Biomedical Engineering Society to organize an exhibition in conjunction with their annual conference. The intersection of art and science has always captivated me and is a theme I have explored extensively in my own artwork.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was hired for the position I currently hold only 2 months before the grand opening of the new Reeves House Visual Arts Center, and I was tasked not only with organizing the first exhibit, but also conceptualizing an exhibition schedule for the entire year. It seemed like an impossible challenge, but somehow it all came together!

The bigger challenge came on the night before the grand opening of the space and our first exhibition. I had designed 6 moveable walls that had to be custom fabricated on an incredibly tight timeline. Due to an array of unexpected delays, the walls were not delivered to us until 6pm THE DAY BEFORE the grand opening. To add insult to injury, we soon discovered that these walls were ¾ of an inch too tall to fit through our doors. We tried every angle imaginable before we had to get creative. Ultimately, the best solution we arrived at was to purchase car jacks to lift up the walls (which were each around 300 lbs), remove the wheels, slide them through the door on moving blankets, jack them back up, and then re-install the casters. I wasn’t able to start installing the 40 artworks for the exhibit until about 8pm that night – needless to say, I was up all night installing and didn’t get a wink of sleep until after the opening reception. On a more positive note, it did make every exhibition that came after it seem like a walk in the park.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My path to becoming a curator was paved by my insatiable curiosity about the world around me and a deep desire to pursue a creative practice with intellectual rigor. My mission in life is to create, cultivate, and share beauty, and art has become my vehicle for that. I truly believe in the transformative power of art to provoke profound shifts in perception and ignite critical inquiry, so I curate exhibitions that serve as dynamic platforms for exploration, intellectual exchange, and dialogue. Ultimately, I became a curator because I believe in the power of art to transform lives, challenge social norms, and inspire change.

Contact Info:

• Website: Curatorial Portfolio: nicolelampl.crevado.com
• Instagram: @thecuriouscurator_nicole
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodstockarts.reeveshouse
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolelampl/
• Other: Reeves House: woodstockarts.org