Episode 1: Reconnecting with Beauty in a Post-Pandemic World

René Paul Barilleaux knew he had a problem with reading when he was young, but no one did anything to help him overcome it. Instead, he drifted toward what he knew he liked—images, objects, drawings. It is no wonder, then, that he became a visual artist and later a curator, now head of curatorial affairs at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas.

Photo credit: McNay Art Musem

In our inaugural program, René discusses his everyday work, "something new all the time," and those moments when he walks from his office through the galleries at the McNay to see people "staring at things, just standing and staring," and he thinks "about what they're seeing and how they're connecting."

In the post-pandemic world, René says people "come to museums...to reconnect with beauty, to transport them, and to take them away from the everyday."

Photo credits: McNay Art Museum

René Paul Barilleaux

Photo credit: McNay Art Museum

René finished his Masters of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. He subsequently served as a Fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership in New York, and is the recipient of the Award of Excellence from the Association of Art Museum Curators.

ManMade! Gay Folk, Craft, and Visionary Art is the first exhibition to focus exclusively on folk art and craftwork created by gay men, often exploring issues of gay identity and culture. René notes, "all people can gather around objects—whether quilts, collages, or sculptures—and appreciate them for their artistry and the artists’ courage to share, especially the vulnerable and sacred parts of themselves." The exhibition is currently in development.

More information on René and the McNay Art Museum is available here.

Photo credit: McNay Art Museum