Tricia Paik has been involved with contemporary art since the mid-1990s, when she wrote her master’s thesis on Maya Lin’s Vietnam Memorial for the prestigious Institute of Fine Arts in New York. She worked in galleries for a few years, returned to the IFA for a PhD, and then embarked on a museum career that has included curating experience at the Museum of Modern Art, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art, where she is now curator of contemporary art. “Every show has a different story,” as she tells us.

She is also the author of a handsome landmark monograph on Ellsworth Kelly—“a real charmer and very humble”—and assesses his contribution and his legacy among younger artists. And she has some good advice for artists seeking museum attention, including the importance of developing a great website: clarity is critical.