Our June Curator Profile features Alana N. Newman, Pattee Executive Director of Warren County History Museum (WCHM) in Monmouth, Illinois. Before her current role, Alana worked as Classics and Archaeology Adjunct Professor at Monmouth College. As her previous position suggests, Alana is a trained Classical archaeologist with a Bachelor of Art in Classical Civilizations from Ohio University. After attaining her BA, Alana went on to gain both a Masters in Classical Art & Archaeology and a PhD in Classics from University of Edinburgh. While her passion for classicism is clear, she also shares that passion with fashion history. Alana has a fascination with the stories clothing tells. “I love how we can learn about life and culture through what we put on our bodies,” Alana elaborates, highlighting the connection between gender and fashion as a particular interest. 

     She was drawn to fashion history as it is a chance to tell a more varied history. Noting her background as a historian of the ancient world, Alana explains, “You find that often history is told through the perspective of the majority and the people in power.” This position provides her with the opportunity to explore a variety of histories. Luckily, Warren County History Museum holds artifacts that “represent a large swath of people,” which leads to diverse perspectives. Alana loves this about WCHM’s collection, citing the textile exhibition as a great example of women’s voices. She notes that female perspectives are often “unheard in the past—especially in written history—but to [Alana] these textiles help tell their story and give voice to this often-unwritten group.”

     This ability to tell women’s stories, among others, is one of Alana’s favorite parts of her job. The creative process of conveying history to the public by “showing connections between artifacts and history in unexpected ways” is another. The opposite, having trouble bringing an exhibition to life, is her least favorite. Ultimately, she uses these moments of frustration as moments of growth. In fact, this attitude is reflected in the advice she would give her younger self. When asked for that advice, Alana admits, “It’s okay to be a perfectionist, but remember that there are good lessons one can learn from imperfection.” 

     She extends these learning moments to the museum interns, which she loves working with as it combines her passion for teaching and museum work. With so many different aspects of her work as Pattee Executive Director, she concedes that “there is no average day” at work. Alana loves the spontaneity of her daily tasks, happy that each day is different.

     To see the stories Alana is so passionate about telling, she encourages people to visit Fashionistas through the Decades exhibition. This exhibit explores the history of women’s fashion in Warren County from 1860 to present day. 

     In June 2022, Alana was featured in a Dress & Drinks webinar that can be seen on our YouTube channel. You can check out all of our Curator Profiles by clicking here. 


~Profile written by Stephanie Ray

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