Meet Samantha Singleton | Museum Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Singleton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
There are more museums in the United States than Starbucks and McDonalds combined! 10,000 more. Arts and cultural organizations improve lives and support Georgia’s economy. Cultural events are the reason most out of state visitors make a trip to Georgia and nearly 20,000 jobs are supported by Georgia’s nonprofit arts and culture sector alone.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I graduated from Smith College with a double major in History and Art. From there, I chose the path less taken and took on many new and exciting opportunities. I have worked as a Historian, Museum Educator, Archivist, Art Teacher, Artist, Artist Assistant, Curator and now I am a Museum Director. When I became Director of the Hapeville Depot Museum, it felt natural because my whole life has been preparing me for the museum world. I grew up a short commute from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and remember going every week as a teenager with my notebook and art supplies. I couldn’t afford the full price ticket and remember searching the street for the metal museum buttons so I could enter for free. I loved talking to the guards in the galleries and visitors from around the world. I also had great mentors from the Education Department like Rika Burnham and Randy Williams. The Arts and Humanities can be difficult to break into and in my opinion, it is really all about flexibility. I was happy to take on any role and learn while I worked in this field. Learning is a lifelong practice. Sometimes if I am in a new place, I will take out Google Maps just to see if there are any historic sites or art spaces to visit. You never know what you will find and it is always worth the adventure.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would recommend that they stay at a hotel in Hapeville since it is in proximity to everything for visitors and has a charming historic downtown. The first thing I am thinking about when I land in a new city is: where am I getting coffee? So I would take them to JPresso. Not only is the coffee amazing but the cafe is an experience in its own right. It is pretty unassuming from the front but then when you go inside it is decorated from floor to ceiling with plants, fun antiques and twinkle lights. For food, I would suggest Tia Rosie’s, Volare Wine and Bistro, La Shish Kabab, Buttersweet Bakery and Tassili’s Raw Reality. For things to do, I would recommend: The Academy Theater, The Hapeville Depot Museum, and The Supermarket. The Supermarket is actually an arts space on 638 North Highland with non-stop awesome arts programming!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Georgia Association of Museums has been the wind beneath my wings! They are a group of mighty museum professionals all working towards preserving history, promoting culture and connecting artists. When I began my role at the Hapeville Depot Museum, so many colleagues reached out to genuinely ask, “how can I support your work?” or “who can I connect you with?”. I feel so lucky to be a part of such a supportive group of people. I also need to shoutout The Bakery which has some of the most innovative, independent arts programming in Atlanta. And the Atlanta Regional Commission has a wonderful cultural forum that brings artists together to dream up a more equitable future for Atlanta.

Website: https://www.hapevilledepot.org/

Instagram: @samanthasingletonart and @hapevilledepotmuseum

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-singleton-633698317?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

Image Credits
ARC Cultural Forum Photo . Credit: Atlanta Regional Commission