New Member Highlight: Betsy Balch

Betsy Balch discusses her favorite MFA exhibition and how art functions as social commentary.

Why did you decide to join the Council?

I was an art history major in college and very passionate about exhibition design and museum studies. Upon graduating, I was given a membership by my mother, which I maintained for a few years, but eventually I felt that I wanted to engage more with the Museum. The Council provided me that opportunity and helped reinvigorate my passion for the arts.

What exhibition are you most looking forward to this season?

I am looking forward to “Radical Geometries,” opening at the MFA in February. I briefly studied Bauhaus architecture, but I am less familiar with Bauhaus prints and eager to explore the connections between these formats. It is exciting to see our exhibition paired with another exhibition featuring the Bauhaus school at the Harvard Art Museums—I find that the impact of an exhibition is most striking when multiple institutions collaborate.

If you could design a new Council event, what would it look like?

As a new member of the Council, I would love the opportunity to discuss the Boston art community with other members who are engaged in the local scene. The Council is a wealth of knowledge, and I would love to tap into it!

What was your favorite exhibition at the MFA, and why?

The exhibition that really stands out to me is “Megacities Asia,” and in particular Han Seok Hyun’s Super-Natural installation. I am passionate about the environment and feel that using art as social commentary is an inspiring way to visualize and contextualize environmental issues. The installation established, and poignantly expressed, connections between the natural and the man-made. It was exciting to see the Museum enabling the creation of these artworks.