Lori Neuenfeldt is an Instructor and Gallery Director in the Department of Art at the Historic Costume & Textiles Collection, Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. Although the collection was formed in 1985, Lori didn’t begin working there until 2014. In January 2022 Lori will celebrate her 10-year anniversary at MSU teaching Art History. She chose this field because she had an opportunity to perform object-based research with Coptic textile fragments in graduate school. This led her to thinking about textiles and fashion’s relationship to art or its role as art. She especially enjoys working in the presence of historic artifacts and artwork. Lori says, “objects and especially material culture relating to dress have an aura that creates a connection to another place, time, people, and ideas. Plus, I love the care, handling, and organization of object storage, and yes, even data entry. There’s something very fulfilling about properly storing something, maintaining its safety, and updating a database.”

     Lori’s background includes a BS in Studio Art and MA in Art History from Florida State University (FSU). In between degrees, she worked as a graphic designer and product developer for a digital photography company in Jacksonville, Florida, during which time she realized she wanted to go back to school. She frequented museums in Jacksonville and this began changing her perspective on the art world. She returned to graduate school with the intention of pursuing a museum career. She worked at the FSU Museum of Fine Art, interned at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art, then held a position as registrar at the Louisiana State University Museum of Art. She started at MSU in January 2012. At first it was to teach History of Art and coordinate the art galleries. However, her job has expanded to Gallery Director, instructing the Fine Art research course, historic costume course, and overseeing the MSU Historic Costume and Textiles Collection.

     This particular collection called to her for someone to love it as much as she needed a collection to love. She was drawn to the challenge of updating and re-organizing the Fashion Design department’s collection. It started as summer work and grew. The personal connections with people that donate garments or accessories are something that doesn’t happen in every field. Having worked with artists and donors in other institutions there’s something so personal about clothing and the people that donate it. They want to know their pieces are going to add to the collection beyond monetary value and be celebrated in publications or exhibitions. They are really excited about students using their donations for research or inspiration.

     The most unique aspect of Lori’s job is the collaboration. She had the privilege to work with faculty and students in so many fields, such as art, fashion design and merchandising, anthropology, archeology, and theatre. The hardest part of her job is that there is not enough time to spend in the collection due to her other responsibilities. This collection has the potential to be a resource for design inspiration, academic research, and exhibitions. “I’m so eager to jump to the future,” she says.

     As she runs off down the hall to another meeting, Lori has this note to send to her younger self: “Making art and being an artist isn’t the only job for anyone who loves art. You don’t know it now, but there are so many careers and ways to experience art. Also, maybe it would be fun to tell myself you are going to live in a small town in Mississippi and enjoy it more than you might think!”

     In September 2021, Lori 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 Jennifer A. Adams

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