Langley Lease ’14
This interview was conducted in summer 2020.
Exhibits Manager, National Children’s Museum
Washington, DC
WFU Class of 2014
Major: Art History
Minor: History
DeacLink: Please walk us through your path from graduation day to your current job.
Langley Lease: While in college I interned at a number of art museums, and knew then that I wanted to build my career in the museum field. I found this easier said than done. I chose to stay in Winston-Salem after college while my then-boyfriend, now husband finished law school at Wake. I found a job right before graduation at the advertising agency Mullen-Lowe working in the art production department. While I liked the agency environment, and the job certainly had some flashy perks, I knew I wanted to find my way back to museums. When my husband graduated from law school, we decided we wanted to move to DC so that we could both pursue our desired careers, plus we really loved the city. We moved home to Raleigh, NC, for the summer to save money for our move and I started working part time at Marbles Kids Museum. I immediately fell in love with children’s museums. I’ve always loved being around children, and seeing the creativity that happens in a space made just for kids is incredible.
My husband and I moved to DC in September of 2016. I found a job working at a think tank as an event assistant. It was definitely not what I wanted for a career, but it paid the bills and I really enjoyed planning events. I was able to flex my creative muscles and build things from the ground up. I then worked for a year as an assistant to the CEO of a large charter school district in DC. I took the job because I knew that if I wanted to work with the children of DC, I needed to learn more about the schools they attend. From the moment we moved to DC to the day I found my current job, I was consistently checking for and applying to museum job. In August of 2018, I saw the posting for my current job. I immediately applied and the process moved along quickly. Within two weeks, I had an offer – I really almost felt meant to be.
DL: How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?
LL: I knew that I wanted to work in museums when I took my art history seminar with Professor O’Neill. The seminar was all about museums, and this deep dive in the museum field combined with my past experience during internships, solidified my goal to build a career in museums. At the time though, I just wasn’t sure what department or type of museum would be my calling. I think that my ability to think critically and creatively can be attributed to my experience and education at Wake Forest. These skills now directly correlate to my career in exhibit development and design.
DL: How did you find and apply to the various positions you’ve held?
LL: I really think each job I’ve had has had a different application process. At my current job, I had no inside reference, and just applied online. Sometimes jobs are really just the right place and the right time, or you are the right person and the right time. I also think it’s always a good idea to reach out to WFU alums at an institution you are applying to. That has been the piece that got me in the door to at least a job or two!
DL: What is your favorite part of living and working in Washington, DC? What is the most interesting thing going on in the art scene there at the moment, in your opinion?
LL: My favorite part of DC might honestly be the food scene. It’s incredible. And because it is such an international city, there is a little bit of everything. I also love the size of DC. It’s a big city, but you can still drive across town. You can also easily learn the geography of the city. Obviously DC is an incredibly political city, and always reflects the current climate whether that’s through protest or support. Art is always part of that, and it’s incredibly inspiring. Especially since the start of the Black Lives Matter movement, there have been installations throughout the city.
DL: What is your favorite part about working for National Children’s Museum?
LL: I joined the Museum a year and a half before we opened to the public. I was able to be a part of a team that built the Museum and its exhibits. Because we were and still are such a small team, I have had the opportunity to work on projects outside of my job description. This includes helping to build out our educational programming, helping to design our gift shop merchandise, informing our HR policies and procedures, and designing our office spaces. The things that I have learned and had the opportunity to help build in this job are incomparable.
Working in children’s museums also provides the unique opportunity to stretch your creativity. There is really no idea too crazy for kids and consequently a children’s museum. You want to design an exhibit that explores probability, chance, and our senses using slime? Or how about a 40-foot climber and slide that gives the illusion of traveling through the clouds? You can, and we did!
DL: What and where is next for you?
LL: National Children’s Museum was only physically open for 18 days before we had to close due to COVID. While we are still (as of August 2020) closed to the public, I now have the opportunity to explore digital and virtual exhibit offerings, which is exciting and a new challenge. I am still looking forward to the day we can reopen our doors and continue to build out the Museum. I am already looking 10+ years into the future for the institution.
DL: Any kernel of advice you’d like to impart to the readers?
LL: I’ve had quite a hodgepodge of jobs that have led me to where I am now. I use skills that I have either learned or developed in all of my past jobs. Every job experience, whether positive or not, is valuable. I also think it’s important, especially early on, to never say no – within reason, of course. Be willing to help out wherever you are needed, you never know what you might learn or where it might lead you.