Kelleher ’08 Manages London’s Maas Gallery

In the heart of London’s art district, Ellis Kelleher ’08 manages The Maas Gallery.

Surrounded by the profound beauty and nuance of Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite, Romantic, and Modern British artwork, Kelleher serves a diverse clientele, oversees framers and restorers, edits catalogs, handles myriad administrative tasks, and researches the gallery’s constantly changing collection.

“The field involves decoding these works of art,” says Kelleher, who holds a master’s in English literature from King’s College, University of London. “Sometimes the research is difficult and complex, but that’s the fun of it.”

When asked to declare a favorite of the gallery’s current artwork, she ponders only momentarily. “The piece I’m most excited about is a portrait of a girl called Amy Gaskell, who was a model for many Pre-Raphaelite painters,” she says. “According to her family, she died of a broken heart. Painted by a relatively obscure female painter, Annora Martin, who flourished from 1890 to 1905, it is beautiful and haunting.”

For Kelleher, an English graduate, working in one of the top galleries in this international city is particularly rewarding. “The idea of having art and owning art is so ingrained here,” she says.

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