The Hidden Hero at the Georgia Museum of Art

https://georgiamuseum.org/gmoa_blog/the-hidden-hero-at-the-georgia-museum-of-art/

By: Kathrin Merritt

Recently, Georgia Museum of Art employee, Wanda Moore, accepted a position as a security supervisor. Looking after a museum is no small task. From managing visitors, keeping the grounds polished to maintaining each gallery space, there is a lot that goes into Moore’s job. While much of what she does goes on behind the scenes, every person who has visited the Georgia Museum of Art has benefited from the work of Wanda Moore.

Moore was raised in Athens, Ga and has since moved to Comer, Ga in Madison County with her two teenage children. After being recommended by friends who worked at UGA, she decided to apply for a part-time position as a gallery guide at GMOA two years ago, which turned into a full-time position and led her to her current role.

“Moving into actually being a supervisor of security, I love the idea that every day is different,” says Moore. “There's not a day that's the same. Every day there is something for you to deal with and figure out how to deal with it. It's not routine; by no means.”

Being a part of a work environment that allows for learning and growth is something that is important to Moore, and life at the museum gives her just that. There are more challenges than meets the eye, and even though she has only been a security supervisor a short while, Moore has already used her position to help better the lives of those in and around the museum.

Just recently, Moore was checking the museum’s parking lot and found a man who was semi-conscious. Thanks to her attentiveness and quick timing, Moore was able to notify police and get this person the medical care they needed. After which, the Police Chief of the University of Georgia Police Department P. Daniel Silk sent out an email thanking Moore for her thorough job that “may have saved [the man’s] life.”

Moore is also to thank for the well-kept exterior of the building. In a much lighter event, toward the start of her position, Moore noticed that the grounds outside the museum were looking a little unruly, and she did a thorough job at following through with clean up plans.

“There was landscaping that needed to be done outside the front door. I noticed and I put it on the website. Then a guy came in and he came downstairs and he [said], ‘can I speak to Wanda.’ Okay… and he kinda made a joke. ‘Are you the person that's called 20 times about the landscaping?’ I said, 'yeah that might be me.'”

Moore carries this determination and dedication into all aspects of her life. Though she is a full time employee at the Georgia Museum of Art, she still works part time as a manager at McDonalds, takes classes through the Engage and Learn program at UGA about modern technology and stays busy raising her children.

“It is [busy]! Leaving one job and going to another and then my children...you know, coming in before daylight, opening up everything,” says Moore. “[But] I love my job. I actually love it. I never saw myself being a part of security but I absolutely love it.”