BEAT stands for Bolstering Enrichment and Amusement Team. Its membership varies, but the core is made up of the administrative team Lily Foster, Deputy Director; Jess Henry-Cross, Financial and Systems Manager; Louise Krieger, Assistant to the Director; and Lauren Shea-Warner, Membership, Stewardship and Engagement Coordinator. Currently, Henriette Kets de Vries, Associate Curator of Works on Paper and Cunningham Center Manager, is also a member of BEAT. Staff members also serve temporarily for a particular project or event.

BEAT is generally tasked with adding a little fun, education and wellness into SCMA staffers’ days. BEAT is called on to assist a department in recognizing an employee’s departure, as well as welcoming new staff members. BEAT has also helped to organize baby showers (even a virtual one during the pandemic!) and wedding celebrations, meal trains for coworkers’ medical leaves and cards and acknowledgments of major life events.

Several events have become staples in SCMA’s annual calendar. We partner with the Botanic Garden for exclusive access to the mum and bulb shows, and we make wreaths and swags to decorate for the winter holidays. Also around the winter holidays, BEAT organizes “Secret Sprites” and an “Accessories Swap” and participates in a local nonprofit’s “Adopt-a-Family” program to help a local family with holiday gifts.

BEAT also helps to plan informal visits to other local museums or arts organizations and assists in planning training-focused staff workshops and gatherings.

top: SCMA staff at the BEAT team’s annual  SCMA Accessories Swap. Photo by Louise Krieger