The Art World Works From Home: Aldrich Museum Director Cybele Maylone Is Watching ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and Fretting About Finances

The art world may be on lockdown, but it certainly does not
stop. During this unprecedented time, we’re checking in with
art-world professionals, collectors, and artists to get a glimpse
into how they are working from home.

Cybele Maylone has helmed The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in
Ridgefield, Connecticut, since 2018 and, like many museum
directors, now finds herself reimagining what a museum can be. It
was supposed to be a big year for The Aldrich, notably including
“Frank Stella’s Stars,”
a new survey dedicated to the artist, who had one of his first
museum shows at the institution 55 years ago.

But Maylone, along with her team, has jumped headfirst into new
digital offerings, including an upcoming Zoom conversation this
Friday—which is one our featured editors’
picks for this week’s unmissable virtual art events!—with
the museum’s exhibitions director, Richard Klein, who will be
sharing stories on the occasion of his 30th work anniversary.

Here, read on to learn how Maylone has adapted to work-from-home
life, and what she’s reading, watching, and dreaming of doing
post-quarantine.

Where is your new “office”?
My husband and I are taking turns at the desk
in our guest room. It’s not the most inviting space in our house,
but it has a door that locks, which is key in keeping our daughters
off my lap while I’m trying to work. 

What are you working on right now (and were any projects
of yours interrupted by the lockdown)?
We’re in this strange moment of rescheduling
immediate plans. Our next exhibitions, solo shows by Frank
Stella and Genesis Belanger, were set to open in May. We’re
also, like many institutions across the world, thinking of new and
different ways to fulfill our mission during this time. For
example, on April 3, our team led a Zoom tour of the exhibition
“Weather
Report,” followed by a
series of art-making activities to support educators and parents at
home. We’re truly asking: How can The Aldrich continue to be a
platform for artists if one of our biggest tools—the museum
itself—is closed? which is such a fascinating and inspiring
conversation. I am also, like everyone else in my position,
spending a lot
of time thinking about our finances
and having lots of meetings with the board. We’re grateful for
everyone’s support and commitment to our mission.

How has your work changed now that you are doing it from
home?
I am inspired
and energized by my colleagues, so being alone is strange. But we
were all quick adopters of virtual meetings, which has helped a
great deal. 

What are you reading, both online and off?

I am really having to manage my
news consumption, because it can really put a massive halt to my
productivity (in addition to having a deeply negative impact on my
anxiety). In the evenings I am taking heavy dives into fiction. I
just finished the novel Pachinko, which was incredibly moving and a great
escape.

Have you visited any good virtual exhibitions
recently?
I was sorry
to not have seen “Vida Americana,” but I just watched the Whitney’s great
videos about the show. 

Have you taken up any new hobbies?

It’s not new, but I’m running more
than usual. It’s my only opportunity to go outside!

What is the first place you want to travel to once this
is over?
To visit my
parents in Maine. 

If you are feeling stuck while self-isolating, what’s
your best method for getting un-stuck?
For work, I just try to plow through it. It
could be incredibly easy to procrastinate right now, but just
keeping with a schedule and giving my work the same kind of focus
as usual (or perhaps even more…) has created momentum that’s been
really important to keep me moving forward. 

What was the last TV show, movie, or YouTube video you
watched?
I am the last
person on earth to have discovered “Schitt’s Creek,” but it has
been a very welcome addition to my quarantine routine!

If you could have one famous work of art with you, what
would it be?
That’s a
tough question and somewhat impossible to answer! The list is too long. That said, we
just got amazing images of the work Genesis Belanger is making for
her upcoming show at The Aldrich and I would be delighted to have
any of these pieces with me right now. One of the works is
titled Cheer
Up, which feels
particularly apt right now.

What are you most looking forward to doing once social
distancing has been lifted?
Being with friends and family. And being with
art! Technology is making incredible things possible right now, but
it’s not the same. We can’t wait to welcome our community back to
The Aldrich!

Favorite recipe to cook at home?

My favorite recipe is whatever my
husband, who is a fantastic cook, chooses. He recently made this
focaccia recipe from Bon Appetit (for a weekday lunch!)
and it was incredible. I am all thumbs in the
kitchen. 

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s
“Shockingly Easy No-Knead
Focaccia“:

Whisk  dry yeast, honey, and 2½ cups
lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes. Then,
add the all-purpose flour and 5 tsp. salt and
mix with a rubber spatula until a “shaggy dough” forms.

Generously butter a 13×9″ baking pan, then pour 1 tbsp.
olive oil into center of pan. Using a fork in each hand,
gather up edges of dough in the bowl farthest from you and lift up
and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and
repeat process 2 more times to deflate dough while you form it into
a rough ball. Transfer dough to the prepared pan and pour over
any extra oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot until
doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Lightly oil
your hands, and gently stretch out dough to fill your baking pan.
Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, and drizzle with
remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with flaky
sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over,
20–30 minutes.

When ready to serve, melt 4 tbsp. butter medium heat.
Remove from heat. Peel and grate in 2–4 garlic cloves and
return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until garlic is
just lightly toasted, 30–45 seconds. Brush garlic-butter all over
and enjoy!

The post The Art World Works From Home: Aldrich Museum
Director Cybele Maylone Is Watching ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and Fretting
About Finances appeared first on artnet News.