Born and raised in Jasper, Indiana, Alexandra realized a love for all things arts-related at an early age and vowed to make that passion a career. She earned her B.A. in Art History and English Literature from DePauw University in 2013, her M.A. in Arts Administration from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015, and a certificate in Museum Studies from the School of Professional Studies at Northwestern University in 2019.
Currently, Alexandra is the Director of Operations for the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. In this role, Alexandra manages all day to day operations for AAMG, whether financial, programming, or membership related.
For the last several years, Alexandra has been a part of a small volunteer working group: the Putnam County Mural Project. This group has been responsible for creating and producing Putnam County murals, including the largest in the state of Indiana back in 2019. They are currently working towards the production of a mural festival to take place in fall of 2022, including a matching grant funding campaign to raise over $100,000-check out more details here!
Additionally, since 2016, Alexandra has held volunteer positions on the Alumnae Advisory Council for the Indiana Epsilon chapter of Pi Beta Phi, holding the Chair position from 2018-2023. Ring ching!
She also assists her partner, Jordan Alexander, in his handyman/woodworking business, LJA, LLC. Named after their partnership and of course, their first doggo (Luna, Jordan, Alexandra), this thriving entrepreneurship is based in Putnam County, Indiana.
To add to all the titles, in February of 2023, Alexandra completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training with CitYoga. Alexandra was first introduced to yoga in her teen years by her sister, a dedicated practitioner and dietitian. A passion for the practice developed in her late 20s when working in academia started to take its toll on her mental state. Yoga became a space for release allowing for a newfound motivation towards better work-life balance. Preferring sunshine and heat, especially in the cold winter months, Alexandra loves to ramp up practice with hot vinyasa classes that keep the body moving with a focus on alignment and safety for all ages.
Prior to these roles, Alexandra held several positions. She has taught courses in museum studies at DePauw University and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. She was the Gallery Director and Instructor at Indiana State University (ISU) in Terre Haute, Indiana. In this position, she was primarily responsible for teaching courses related to curatorial practices and museum studies, as well as managing all facets of three gallery spaces throughout the ISU campus. Additionally, Alexandra completed a consultant role as the Transitional Gallery Advisor for the Peeler Art Center on DePauw University’s campus. In this role, she was primarily responsible for maintaining oversight of gallery spaces and collections throughout the transition time between directors. Prior to these roles, Alexandra was the Assistant Director and Curator of Exhibitions and Education for the Peeler Art Center at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. In that position, she was primarily responsible for the development and implementation of educational programming and outreach as it related to the galleries and collections at DePauw as well as assisting with the conceptualization and application of interdisciplinary exhibitions. She has also taught introductory courses related to museum studies throughout her time at DePauw. In the past, Alexandra has also held positions such as the Exhibitions Director for Non-Fiction Gallery under Art Rise Savannah in Savannah, Georgia.
Teaching interests include curatorial practices, arts administration, museum studies, and object-based teaching and learning.
Research interests include non-profit arts development and marketing, the intersection of object-based learning and visual literacy, and arts advocacy. Formerly, Alexandra’s research was based in the interdisciplinary nature of Visual Thinking Strategies and the Association of College and Research Libraries’ The Framework as a means to cultivate research confidence in undergraduate students. You can find more information about this particular topic by visiting the LibGuide devoted to this area at https://libguides.depauw.edu/VTS.
Alexandra Chamberlain 