Over 30 students and faculty members filled the Andy Warhol exhibit Thursday seeking to meet the first of three candidates being interviewed for the position of curator of exhibitions and university collections. 

The first candidate, Craig Hadley, walked the group through the collection explaining each piece and each piece’s connections to the rest of the exhibition. The group of attendees filled out feedback surveys and rated Hadley on his performance. 

Chairman of the committee seeking a new curator of exhibitions and university collections Michael Mackenzie said the process of having each candidate guide a tour through the new exhibit allows the committee to compare them. 

“We try to make it as consistent as possible,” Mackenzie said. “And a really important part is that all three of them have to talk about this show. And so, it’s like a science experiment — we’ve reduced the number variables so we can focus on the differences.”

The other two candidates will lead similar walk-throughs of the same gallery and will also be reviewed by faculty and students. The second candidate, Sara Cunningham, will lead her walk-through on Nov. 15, with the third candidate, Christian Cutler leading the final walk-through on Nov. 22. Students and faculty are welcome to attend and review candidates. 

Mackenzie said the new curator must be able to interact with students and reach out to the community through art. 

“The way that this person is going to talk to students is crucial,” Mackenzie said. “It’s one of the most important aspects of the job, not just what kind of shows they hang or can hang the pictures in a straight line and make it look good, but how are they going to interpret this work for our audiences? And the students are one of the most important audiences.”