LAM internship honors longtime staff member

Published 12:00 pm Thursday, June 24, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A LaGrange Art Museum internship program was recently named in memory of Owen C. Holleran, Jr., a 21-year staff member, according to a press release from the museum.

Holleran, who died at the age of 91 on May 12, was the Curator of Collections. The museum’s board of governors took this action at its June 10 board meeting, and the focus of the internship is on museum studies and collections.

The first student under the newly named internship is Point University senior Joanna Gallman. The Calhoun native is studying under Deputy Director Lauren Oliver. Gallman assisted with the receipt and installation of the “Who Are We?” exhibition featuring the works of Robin Holder. She also has been learning about artists and art collections from Wes Cochran, owner of the Cochran Gallery and long-time art collector. Gallman is majoring in humanities.

Holleran was a graduate of the United States military academy and a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. After a long career as an Army officer and civilian employee of the Army at the Pentagon, he and his wife, Bobbie, returned to LaGrange in 1987. Holleran worked at the art museum until his retirement.

“As past president and friend, I had the honor and joy of knowing Mr. Holleran for 34 years, of which 21 were his years at the museum. He was a delight and had a great sense of humor,” said Ethyl Ault, past president of the museum.

“He loved research and developed the first organized process for documenting and caring for our permanent collection. This internship is the ideal way to honor him.”