Meet the Team: Ashlyn Lee

Tell us a little about yourself. What did you do before joining the Thoma Foundation team?

After completing my MFA in 2019 at Southern Methodist University I served as the Gallery Director and as an Instructor for Drawing at El Centro College in Dallas, Texas. I then taught art at the public high school level in Denton, Texas. 

Can you explain a little bit about the work you’ve been doing at TF?

I work closely with our Director, Holly Harrison, managing her calendar and communications. I also work with the grants team at the Foundation as an administrator. I assist with research and the grants process. 

Do you have a favorite piece of artwork in the collection?

My favorite piece in the collection is John Gerrard’s Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas). As a graduate student I met Gerrard while his work was on display at the Dallas Museum of Art. Coming from a small Texas town myself, I was fascinated with his simulations of rural West Texas. 

The Foundation’s collection ranges from seventeenth-century art of the Spanish Americas panel paintings to contemporary digital art. What has been the biggest challenge so far in working with such a diverse collection? The biggest reward?

The challenge – which is also the biggest reward – is working with scholars, museums, and artists that come from diverse fields of art and learning something new every day. 

Where is your favorite place to see art in the Dallas area?

The Nasher Sculpture Center, The Warehouse, and 100W Corsicana have impeccable programing and are great locations in the Dallas area. In Fort Worth, I enjoy the Modern Art Museum and the Amon Carter.