Taking Care: Collections Conversations

Judith Rinehart, Owner & Director of J. Rinehart Gallery

Judith Rinehart graduated with her BFA in Art History from the University of Utah and has been working in fine art galleries since 2007. Before launching her own gallery space, she previously managed two highly successful art galleries in Seattle and has established herself as a fixture in the gallery community, serving for three years as treasurer of the Seattle Art Dealers Association, as the curator and panelist at the Seattle Emerging Arts Fair in 2018, and the lead organizer of the Seattle Deconstructed Art Fair in 2020 & 2021. By launching J. Rinehart Gallery in 2019, Judith has taken her passion for art to a personal level. As an art dealer and a collector herself, she understands the complexities behind every purchase and strives to make the process as easy as possible for both the artist and the collector.
Judith is currently a co-chair of ArtTable’s NW Chapter, the foremost professional organization dedicated to advancing the leadership of women in the visual arts, a member of the Association of Woman Art Dealers (AWAD), an international network of women art dealers committed upholding professional standards and positively impact the enterprise of each member. Additionally, she has served as a committee member for the Artist Trust Auction for 2020 & 2022 and continues to advocate for art and artists in the Puget Sound region.

Jessica Bellingham, Registrar, The Lumiere Group

Jessica Bellingham is the Registrar for The Lumiere Group. She has a background in art history, anthropology, and museum studies, with a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the State University of New York at Potsdam and a Master’s degree in Museology from the University of Washington, where she focused on deaccessioning and collections care for small museums. She has worked with several museums in the Puget Sound area. Her particular interests in collections management include database administration and the development of policies and procedures.

Melinda Simms, Collection Manager, Museum of Pop Culture

Melinda Simms is the Collections Manager at the Museum of Pop Culture. She has 20+ years of experience working with collections. She has worked for MoPOP for the past 15 years managing the Collections department, providing best practice guidance to the organization, and ensuring preventative conservation and care of over 80,000 artifacts. Prior to her work at MoPOP, she served in various collections and registration-related capacities at The Museum of Fine Art Houston; the Oregon Historical Society; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; among others. Melinda holds an MA in Museum Studies.