"The library had just relocated to a new building, and the walls were sooo empty," recalls Danielle, who was pursuing a master’s degree at the Museum School. "I said, why don’t we try to get some artwork on these walls?"

Danielle’s supervisor at the library gave the okay, and Danielle began contacting fellow SMFA students. It wasn’t long before she had collected enough student artwork to present a full-scale exhibition at the library.

"Our first show was a big success," recalls Danielle. "There was so much interest that we decided to do two shows a year." By the time Danielle graduated in 2006, she had curated and directed six student exhibitions at the library, sorting through 40 or 50 submissions for each one.

"I see curating as an extension of my art," says Danielle, whose artwork incorporates video, film, photography, and performance art. "People think of a gallery as being four white walls—so putting together an exhibition in a functioning library is an intriguing challenge. It’s helped me to push past limitations of space."

Danielle credits her SMFA experience with giving her the confidence to embrace new opportunities. "The Museum School encourages you to try new things; it pushes you to go in new directions," she says. "It gave me the chance to try out new ideas and new areas of exploration."