Kansas State University

Mollie Bieber, one of the young people greeting guests as a Lobby Host, has been at the museum since June 2013.  A junior majoring in graphic design with a minor in French, Mollie is a native of Manhattan, Kansas.  She is the president of K-State’s Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Club and webmaster of K-State’s Rotaract Club.

Of working at the Beach Museum of Art, Mollie says:  “As a developing artist there is a drive for constant self-improvement and exposure to new ideas or styles. I enjoy working at the Beach because the museum embodies this drive by creating an environment of intellectual thought and varying perspectives within the exhibits. I have genuinely enjoyed the exhibits that the staff has coordinated and take pride in my small contribution to the visitor’s experience.”

Fun fact:  Mollie was an exchange student in Belgium for a year through the Rotary Youth Exchange Program after high school to learn French. Words used the most were chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, fries, waffle and beer.

Joining the Beach Museum of Art in 2013 as a curatorial intern, Mike Hankins is working on a PhD in History.  Reflecting his passion for music, Mike’s undergraduate degree is in jazz performance from the University of North Texas, Denton, TX.  He has worked as a professional cartoonist and a web designer and does as much musical work as possible.

“My role at the museum allows me to use my historical research skills to reach out to the public through art,” Mike explains. “I’m very passionate about bridging the gap between the academic world and everyday people. Art and history overlap quite a bit and I enjoy finding those connections. In a lot of ways, art is about trying to understand and communicate something fundamental about the human experience, and in that sense, art is very similar to what I do as a historian – try to uncover and comprehend past human experience in a way that speaks to us in the present.”

Fun fact: Mike lost about 130 pounds in a little over one year.