In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Solana Rostick!

About Solana Rostick: Registrar and Collections Manager at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum. An emerging museum professional dedicated to ensuring underrepresented groups are reflected within institutional collection holdings. Born in Atlanta, raised in Tampa, Florida, and recently completed her Master's in Museum Studies from the University of Florida.

In our conversation, Rostick walks through her journey into the museum world—from early childhood memories of making art with shaving cream on windows at age three to being inspired by her father, one of the few Black professional photographers in the Tampa area. She recalls a pivotal museum visit where seeing Mickalene Thomas's " Ain't I a Woman " became a moment of revelation: "for the first time, I'm seeing myself represented in art." That moment sparked her decision to pursue art history and museum work.

She digs into her graduate thesis on Gallery 32, a groundbreaking Black-owned art space run by Suzanne Jackson in 1960s Los Angeles during the Black Arts Movement. We discuss her first six months as Registrar at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, the challenges of transitioning from "internship mode" to being the person colleagues turn to for direction, and practical steps for diversifying museum collections. As she puts it, representation matters: "whose voices are we missing from this collection?"

She shares insights on podcast listening habits, the Atlanta art scene, the importance of in-person connections over social media, and why she believes real conversations—not just memes—build community.

Be sure to follow Solana Rostick and Clark Atlanta University Art Museum (@CAUArtMuseum on Instagram) to keep up with her work and future projects.

Photo courtesy of subject.

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). 

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production: