Staff

Steven Matijcio comes to the KMA with a wealth of curatorial and administrative experience and a solid track record of significant engagement with contemporary art and artists at a global level. Prior to his position at the Blaffer Museum, Matijcio served as curator at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio (2013-2019) and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (2008-2013). He previously held positions in a number of important galleries and museums including the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, Winnipeg; Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto; Art Gallery of Ontario; and National Gallery of Canada. He was chosen from an international pool of candidates in 2011 to participate in curatorial residencies in Gwangju, South Korea and Berlin, Germany; named artistic director of the 2012 edition of the Narracje Festival in Gdansk, Poland; and more recently was chosen as commissaire (artistic director) of Manif d’art—the Quebec City Biennial. He has lectured on theory and criticism at the University of Manitoba, written for numerous catalogs and journals (including the Guide to the 27th Sao Paulo Bienal), and was commissioned in 2003 by the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to curate one of its first online exhibitions. Matijcio holds a master’s degree from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, New York and bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto. 

Chelsea joined the KMA staff as a Visitor Services Representative in April of 2017. She was promoted to Volunteer Coordinator in July of 2018, to Administrative Coordinator for Development in April of 2022, and then to Executive Administrator in January of 2024. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2008 from the University of Alabama with a concentration in Sculpture and a minor in Printmaking. During her time there she was awarded the Arts & Sciences Outstanding Sophomore and became a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and the Golden Key Honor Society.

Lori Calvert joined the KMA as Director of Development in August 2019 after serving as Director of Stewardship & Donor Relations at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and UT Graduate School of Medicine since 2015. At UTMC, she served as the organization’s strategic leader for donor relations, stewardship, advancement-related communications, and special event programs. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Development Programs at the University of Tennessee Foundation from 2009-2015 where she was responsible for major donor board management, special events, stewardship, and donor relations.

Margo Clark joined the museum in 2000 bringing with her more than 11 years experience in non-profit membership, special events, and fundraising. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from the University of Tennessee. During her career at KMA, Clark has written numerous successful federal, state and local grants, including four recent NEA grants. She also serves as a visual arts panelist for the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Taylor Broyles joined the KMA in 2022. She comes to the museum with over 5 years in event management and design experience. Taylor worked in Event Design Sales for All Occasions Party Rentals and completed internships with the City of Knoxville Special Events Office, The Tennessee Smokies, Tennessee Athletic Event Management, and Prater Day Music Booking Agency. Taylor has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and holds certification as an event professional (CERP).

DeLena Feliciano has a BFA in 2D Studio Art, holds certification with The National Association for Interpretation as a Certified Interpretive Guide, and is a 2020 cohort of the SEMC Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI). Feliciano began at the KMA as a Front Desk Volunteer in 2005. After working as a museum shop associate at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta she returned to Knoxville in 2008 and worked as a KMA Visitor Services Representative. Feliciano was promoted to Visitor Services Manager and Volunteer Coordinator serving in that position from 2012-2018, at which time she was hired as the Assistant Director of Education. She was promoted to Director of Education in 2025. Feliciano serves the KMA and the community on various councils, including the KMA Volunteer Advisory Council, the KMA Education Committee, the KMA Art House Committee, the Knox Area Museum Educators Roundtable, and the Tennessee Association of Museums (TAM) Conference 2025 local planning committee. Feliciano was selected as the Museum Educator of the Year 2024 for the Tennessee Art Education Association (TAEA) and serves on the TAEA Board.

Lilly Saywitz joined the museum in March, 2022 as the Summer Art Academy Coordinator moved to the position of Education Associate in September 2024. She received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Tennessee and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston University. In 2022, Saywitz was the Visiting Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at Sewanee: The University of the South. She has also lectured in Drawing and Art History at Roane State Community College and Pellissippi State Community College. Saywitz has been very grateful to be invited to The University of Wisconsin Stout, Maryville College, and Boston University as guest lecturer.  Outside of her education background, Saywitz is a practicing artist in the Knoxville community who has shown extensively across Tennessee and the East Coast. She has participated in artist residencies such as AIR Zaratan in Lisbon, Portugal in 2021 and The Anderson Ranch Center in Snowmass, Colorado in 2023.

Selena Williford first joined the KMA team as an intern for the education department in the spring of 2020. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Women’s Studies, she took on a more permanent role as a Visitor Services Representative. During her time as a VSR, Selena was completely fascinated by the array of special events and facility rentals at the museum. In July 2022, she was promoted to her current position as Facility Rental Coordinator.

Vicki Wyrick joined the KMA staff as the Museum Shop Manager in October of 2022. Vicki was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has been an artist her entire life. She had a successful career as a metal artist exhibiting at fine arts festivals throughout the United States. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a minor in Education.

Brian is also a veteran radio broadcaster with 25 plus years of experience. He began his radio career in the Atlanta radio market as an air-personality. He has since created a weekly syndicated radio program called “JAZZSPIRATIONS with BRIAN CLAY” which airs on several stations across the country.

Brian was honored to receive the 2019 Martin Luther King Commemorative Commission of Knoxville Arts Award. He is a two-time Gospel Choice Award Winner. In 2018, Brian placed 5th in the “Lee Ritenour International Piano competition. He is a major influencer in Knoxville’s music scene performing in venues in Knoxville and across the southeast.

One of Brian’s accomplishments he is most proud of is the creation of “The Piano Project of Knoxville.” The Piano Project of Knoxville is a public art and music initiative that commissions visual artists to decorated pianos, and the pianos are placed in public spaces around the city for community engagement.