07/28/2026
Our very own Curator of Extraordinary Exhibitions ✨️
I first came to Longwood as a student in 2003. I started as a history major but eventually switched to art, with a focus on photography. I had done photography in high school, and it just made sense to me. I saw things as pictures, and being able to study that at Longwood helped me finally understand my own way of seeing the world.
My connection to the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) started when I was a student worker. I began at the front desk, but whenever exhibitions were changing, I wanted to help behind the scenes. I learned how to measure, frame, move pedestals, change lights and install artwork. Over time, that front-desk job became hands-on museum work. I like to say I graduated on a Saturday and started working on Monday. My first big project was installing a Plexiglas cap on a large ceremonial gong, which was a pretty intimidating first assignment—taking accurate measurements, safe delivery of the material, managing an installation crew and ensuring the safety of the art and people involved. Now, after nearly 20 years connected to the LCVA in one way or another, that kind of care and attention feels like second nature.
As curator of exhibitions, my work starts with an idea and I follow that idea all the way to the gallery walls. I work closely with artists, galleries, other museums, administrators, our collections manager and the rest of our incredibly collaborative team. A good curator listens to the artist, does the research and thinks carefully about how visitors will experience the work. You only have so many walls, so every decision matters. Museums can feel intimidating, but at the LCVA we take seriously the idea that our doors are truly open. Art can be beautiful, challenging, complicated, light-hearted or maybe all of those things at once, and I want people to feel comfortable walking in and engaging with it on their own terms. Sometimes it’s a child finding shapes in an abstract painting. Sometimes it’s an artist seeing their work come alive in a space. But most of all it is seeing our visitors connect with a piece of art. Those moments remind me why this work matters.
I also teach in the Cormier Honors College, which has become another meaningful part of my Longwood experience. In my honors Citizen 110 class, we use photography and the arts to ask bigger civic questions. Students think through ideas, develop projects and eventually curate their own exhibitions around topics that matter to them. I also teach upper-level honors courses that ask students to spend a semester developing a photo essay by exploring big themes through art and media. I love working with students at those different stages—freshmen just beginning to find their footing and seniors thinking deeply about what they want to say and the legacy they want to leave behind.
A lot of people have shaped my Longwood journey. Johnson Bowles, former director of the LCVA, gave me my first real job when I was a recent graduate, and I appreciate that more and more with time. I’ve work with so many wonderful colleagues at the LCVA, and I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve developed with Dr. Chris Kukk, Dr. Lara Smith and Dr. Alix Fink, but the list really goes on! My wife, Emily, is part of my Longwood story, too; we met at the LCVA on her first day here. And then there are the students, including several Kappa Delta women who have cared for my son Henry over the years and shown my family so much kindness.
Outside of Longwood, I serve on the Virginia Commission for the Arts, where I represent our region as well as serve as vice chair and chair the Diversity and Accessibility Committee. That work is deeply personal to me. My son is autistic, and autism and disability advocacy are close to my heart. I think a lot about what it means for people to experience the arts on their own terms and feel set up for success. To me, the arts are part of what makes us human. They help us process, feel, think, connect, grieve, celebrate and understand one another. Being able to champion that work at Longwood, in Farmville and across Virginia means a great deal to me.
Alex Grabiec '07, Curator of Exhibitions & Honors Faculty Scholar
More 👉 go.longwood.edu/HoL
