My name is Juliana Scalise, and I am a Spring 2026 graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Throughout my time in the micro/MACRO Textiles Seminar, I found myself thinking more deeply about the many places, roles, and specialties that shape the art world. I wanted to better understand the work that happens behind the scenes, especially the careful and collaborative labor that allows artworks and objects to move from storage, research, and care into public display.

This project grew from that curiosity. From an object’s journey to its final installation, I set out to learn more about the intricate and specialized work involved in bringing collections and exhibitions to life. This exploration considers the roles, responsibilities, skills, and relationships that shape not only the life of an object, but also the experience we have as viewers in museums, collections, and learning spaces.

Below is the information I gathered through researching career specialties and interviewing people at the Art Institute of Chicago and the SAIC Textile Resource Center. Through these conversations, I was inspired by the wonderful specialists who steward these spaces. They are warm, passionate, and thoughtful people who continue to care for collections while also thinking deeply about audiences, access, and the future of the field.

Our conversations focused on three main areas: roles, responsibilities, and skills or traits. My goal was not only to better understand the jobs that support the journey of exhibitions and collections, but also to learn what it takes to do this work with care. I hope this project can serve as a growing resource for students who are interested in collections-based careers and who are beginning to imagine which paths might best fit their interests, values, and skills.

What I discovered is that there are so many meaningful professions within the art world, many more than I was able to include here. For that reason, Pending Pathways is meant to remain open-ended. It is a starting point that future micro/MACRO Textiles Seminar students and cohorts can continue to expand, revise, and build upon as they encounter new people, new specialties, and new ways of understanding the work behind collections.

Before I conclude I would like to to thank all who participated and were so generous with information and time. I would also like to thank Isaac Facio for encouraging and facilitating this project. Without his help and that of the many specialist I talked to this project would not exist. Thank you!