Profiles

Pamela Trimpe, Pentacrest Museums

	Pamela Trimpe, director of Pentacrest Museums at The University of Iowa. Photo by Tom Jorgensen.

Even though Pamela Trimpe once worked for the nation’s premier greeting card company, the director of Pentacrest Museums considers her career at The University of Iowa to be her “Hallmark moment.”

Trimpe, a native of Lamoni, Iowa, with degrees in English, law, and art history, always desired a role within the University. She accomplished that goal in 1992, serving as curator of painting and sculpture at the UI Museum of Art. Today she serves as director of the Pentacrest Museums—Old Capitol Museum and the Museum of Natural History on the UI campus.

Earlier this year, Trimpe was one of just 32 people selected to attend the Getty Museum Leadership Institute, an intensive residential program designed both to enhance the leadership of experienced executives and strengthen their institutions’ capabilities. Trimpe spoke with fyi about her experience at the institute, what’s new at UI museums, and what she likes best about her job.

Getting selected for the Getty Museum Leadership Institute was quite an honor. How did that come about?

To be accepted I had to write an essay detailing two things: the area in which I expected to receive assistance from the institute, and what I could share with the group. The institute afforded me the opportunity to prioritize the goals of Old Capitol Museum and the Museum of Natural History in order to better communicate the mission of each to our audiences.

They advertise but they don’t say how big the field is from which they pick the attendees. There were 32 of us selected—four Canadians, four Europeans, and 24 Americans. It was amazing! It was very carefully balanced in terms of who was there—we all were from a variety of museums. I was among representatives from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

Can you describe a typical day at the institute? 

The schedule was very intense. I would leave for class at 8 a.m. We were in class until 4:30 p.m. We would have lunch as a group, and we had homework and special assignments in the evenings. Really, there was no down time.

What was the most important thing you learned?

This was truly a leadership institute—we focused on things to make us better leaders. Sometimes you learned things about yourself that you really didn’t want to know but are necessary in order to more effectively lead your staff. This helped me so much. Also, the professionalism and diverse museum backgrounds of the attendees was amazing

You have degrees in law and art history—an unusual combination. How did you decide on that?

In a way, it just sort of happened. I loved teaching high school but it wasn’t enough for me—that led to law. As an attorney, I worked with lots of artists at Hallmark, and my in-laws were in the arts and I loved talking to them, so I decided to pursue an art history degree.

How does that combination help you in your current job?

It is great to have a law degree—it helps with my day-to-day administrative work—while my art history degree makes me sensitive to the importance of content specialties for the museum world. I continue to learn every day!

What’s your next big plan for the Old Capitol and the Museum of Natural History?

Old Capitol has a busy slate of activities, including Piano Sundays and programs on Iowa history. I am very excited about our new exhibition called A Community of Writers: Creative Writing at The University of Iowa. The Museum of Natural History is really going full blast this year as well. Robert Kennedy Jr. lectured on campus Sept. 12, and we were instrumental in putting that together to herald our new environmental exhibition gallery (featured in fyi’s Photo Feature). We have a special exhibition focused on the Ioway people opening later this month, as well as a special program collaboration with the Meskwakis in October. And the museums are holding the third annual “Creepy Campus Crawl” Halloween party!

If you could do one thing at Old Cap without regard for the cost, what would it be?

I would love for both museums to have the funds to book the kind of programs we dream of without the demands of fundraising for each one! We are very thankful for our supporters and for our donors, and we are fortunate to have an endowment that supports our efforts in part. I would like to provide programs that give back to the communities we serve, and I would have even more collaborations with campus departments, including scheduling exciting speakers.

Why did you come to the University?

I always wanted to work here. I wanted to pursue my undergraduate studies here, but my folks said no (it was 1970), so this is the best alternative. I love being part of the University.

What’s the best thing about your job?

No day is ever the same, and I meet such great people. I love the diversity of the museum world and interacting with students.

What do you like to do to relax?

Besides reading mysteries, I’ll walk my dogs in a field near my home where they can run off-leash. I have two Weimaraners and they love to be running outside. In addition, my husband and I love relaxing at our cabin in McGregor, Iowa, and spending time on the Mississippi River and its environs.

by Peter Alexander

Past Profiles

Bob Kirby, University of Iowa Honors Program

Lynn Jahn, Tippie College of Business

Robert Brooks, Facilities Management

Michael Sondergard, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics