What the Art!

Hello all! It feels great to be working in this organisation which is very different from where I came from – the oil & gas industry.

I have joined the Gallery as the PA to Sushma and is also the Office Administrator. I love the peaceful environment and all the friendly people here. I hope to soak up some of the “artistic flair” and  I can’t wait for the Gallery to be opened in 2015!

Shalom and God bless!

Belladine Lee     

My apologies for taking such a long time to pen down this short note. Guess it was baptism by fire right from Day 1, and I am still in the heat of things. :)

Ok, here’s something about me. :)

I am an engineer by training but started my career in the IT industry designing notebooks and configuring LAN/WAN. I finally got bored of talking to machines and decided to interact with living things instead to preserve my sanity. Hence it is no surprise that I veered towards human resource management and have since been in the industry for 15 years.

I am married with two daughters, Shyanne and Shuanne, aged 9 and 4 respectively. As with all fathers, I guess being able to spend time with them is already a pleasure and luxury! (Other than those times when I have to teach them Maths, which sometimes could be a test of my patience.)

I am an avid Man-U supporter so I may get mood swings on Mondays, depending on the outcome of the weekend’s soccer game. Thus, my team usually refrains from having meetings with me on Mondays. :)

Lastly, I certainly hope that I can have the opportunity to sit down with you guys (and ladies) over a cup of coffee (or beer) to get to know each other better.

Cheers

Albert Seah

Hello Everyone!

I’m Jennifer and have just joined the Gallery, Curatorial & Collections Team recently.

I spend many years working in the telecommunications industry before joining here. While the arts industry is totally new to me, it’s all very refreshing and exciting too! I look forward to working with everyone towards the opening of the gallery in 2015.

I am a mother of two young adults  and enjoys baking, cooking, reading, cross-stitching in my leisure hours.

Warmest regards,

Jennifer

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and I am sure many of us took the opportunity to show appreciation to our mothers.

Interestingly, Mother's Day is celebrated all over the world on different days. A quick search on Wikipedia revealed that the occasion is celebrated in all 12 months of the year in different countries. But the most common date to honour mothers and motherhood is still the 2nd Sunday in May, which is observed by more than 80 countries.

To mark the special occasion, Pat has gamely shared with us the most memorable present that she has ever received.

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Motherhood is Simple...

I received my first Mother’s Day present when Julian was 3 years old (he’s 6 now!). He made a paper flower in school and handed to me when I fetched him from school. A simple gift from a simple mind and it instantaneously melted my heart. I still remember that special feeling till today. Motherhood is simple…  Just pure love.

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Happy (belated) Mother’s Day to all mummies and mummies-to-be!

Oh, and don’t forget, Father’s Day is just around the corner on 17 June! Do share your stories with us!

Hello everyone at TNAGS!

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in this industry for over a decade now – 4.5 years in NAC managing visual arts grants & policy as well as festival development for visual & literary arts; 6.75 years in NMS managing education and programmes and now in TNAGS managing the programmes portfolio.

It feels like I am just moving to a close relative’s house and not really going to a “new” job, so you can imagine I am feeling right at home here, but also thanks to the warm welcome from everyone.

Prior to entering this industry, I have fashion retail, fashion merchandising and business marketing experience in the private sector – an average of two years stint in each but nonetheless, gained valuable insights and skills. I don’t think I have taken much of a break in between jobs throughout my career life except for a 2.5 years break to pursue my degree in Hawaii, a 3-month break in Cyprus (where I worked as a waitress for the first time!)  and a very recent one-month attachment at the Met Museum in New York.

I have a young daughter, Alexandra, who is turning 8 this year and she is a real joy. I can’t wait for her to develop her walking stamina so we can do more nature walks and travel to places that would require walking or trekking a lot!

My vision for TNAGS is to create a distinctive experience through our programmes that we can proudly call it an unique TNAGS experience. As museum programmers, I believe we must always push the envelope and distinguish ourselves to find new, refreshing ways for different audiences to have a personal, meaningful yet memorable encounter and engagement with the artworks. This of course, must be done in context with the architectural spaces and design where the artworks inhabit in. If we don’t, it is no different to working in a theme park or with an events company. So don’t be surprised if one day we call upon you fellow TNAGers to trial and seek your opinions on some of our “crazy” ideas – we need to get people excited about TNAGS and it has to start internally : )

I am really looking forward to partnering with everyone to make TNAGS an premier institution of international standing that we can be proud to be part of!

Katharyn

Hi everyone!

I’m Pei Ying and thanks for the warm welcome to this freezing office.

I just realised this week that I’m the second person with the initials “PY” in the HR Department. Prior to joining TNAGS as a HR Generalist, I was formerly working in NUS handling a wide spectrum of human resource functions for both academic and non-academic staff members.

Something about myself, I am a coffee addict and typically drink about 2-3 cups of coffee a day to feed my addiction. My boyfriend of 10 years decided last year that he doesn’t want to be my boyfriend anymore so we got married a few months ago. =)

I am excited to be part of the TNAGS family and looking forward to working with all of you. 

Cheers, Pei Ying

I’m probably the youngest person in the entire TNAGS family so needless to say this is all quite daunting. But the people here are amazingly warm, so I’m settling in nicely! I am massively interested in History and the Arts. Hence, I’m really excited to be in this five-month internship as a Research Intern during my eight-month break till I start University in August.

Apart from being ‘The New Intern’, I am also a giraffe enthusiast (I’ve always dreamed of being a zoologist since I was a kid just so I could study these lovely creatures) and a part-time baker. So if any of you have cravings for any sweet treats, just let me know and I’ll see what I can whip up! I also enjoy good books and good food (I really love pasta!).

I can’t wait to help you guys in whatever way I can, but please be patient with me as I get used to working in an office. The next few months will really be an interesting adventure. I look forward to getting to know you guys better despite my really short period here!

Happy working, everyone.

Love,
Sam

I came over to Singapore from the UK – Wimbledon in fact - a little over 2 years ago as a ‘trailing spouse’ as I was technically known, according to the MOM and my Dependents Pass.  In January 2010 the family – 1 x husband, 3 x children and 1 x middle aged cat swopped snowy Wimbledon for the tropical climes of Singapore.  Two years later I am the proud owner of my very own Employment Pass thanks to TNAGS.

I am very much looking forward to re-engaging with the workplace – having been on a career break/extended maternity leave (!) since 2003 when I had my first child – Thomas – then followed William in 2005 and last but not least Lucy, in 2007.  I studied Art History at degree level and then Museum Studies at Post Grad level, with the ubiquitous gap year travelling through Australia and Asia.  I then worked in a variety of museums and gallery institutions, from castles in Norfolk to refurbished Methodists chapels in London focusing on exhibitions covering art, craft, architecture, design, fashion and all the media in between. 

I am looking forward to working with you all on this exciting project!

Louise