Felicia Knise
Raleigh
Summary
Felicia is an experienced museum professional specializing in interpretation, accessibility and the integration of technology to create engaging and inclusive experiences. With a strong background in arts administration, she has led innovative projects, managed diverse teams, and cultivated partnerships to connect underserved audiences with the arts.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Interpretive Strategies
North Carolina Museum of Art
06.2025 - Current
- Lead the development and implementation of human, analog, and digital interpretive strategies for exhibitions, the People’s Collection, and the Museum Park, ensuring that storytelling and content resonate with a wide range of visitors.
- Oversee interpretive policies, procedures, and workflows, ensuring cross-departmental collaboration and alignment with institutional goals.
- Supervise a team of staff and contractors, providing leadership on project vision, execution, and impact across interpretive programs and docent-led tours.
- Guide interpretive decision-making grounded in research and audience data, using evaluation to shape accessible and visitor-centered experiences.
- Manage partnerships with community members and organizations to broaden engagement and support the development of responsive, collaborative interpretive tools and exhibitions.
- Co-organize and facilitate museum-wide leadership and professional development initiatives, including curriculum design, guided dialogue, and training that strengthen leadership capacity, emotional awareness, collaboration, and effective approaches to conflict resolution.
- Represent the Museum in the broader professional field through conference presentations, writing, and public programs focused on interpretation.
Manger of Interpretation & Accessibility
North Carolina Museum of Art
08.2019 - 06.2025
- Develops and champions the Museum’s mission to engage diverse audiences, fostering inclusivity and a welcoming environment for all visitors.
- Created the museum’s first-ever public-facing interpretation plan, establishing a comprehensive framework for accessible and engaging visitor experiences.
- Manages project budgets, schedules, contracts, and logistics using custom spreadsheets to enhance operational efficiency.
- Supervises staff, interns, and contractors in areas related to accessibility, public programs, and digital software development.
- Oversees the creation and production of analog and digital interpretive projects for temporary exhibitions and the permanent collection.
- Collaborates with curatorial, conservation, and exhibitions departments to design and implement innovative interpretive elements.
- Builds and nurtures strategic partnerships with community organizations to connect underserved audiences with art.
- Conducts and facilitates visitor research in collaboration with the Manager of Evaluation, implementing formative research and evaluating desired outcomes to enhance gallery offerings and project effectiveness.
Audio Description Coordinator
Arts Access, Inc (NC)
06.2021 - 12.2022
- Managed the audio description (AD) program, scheduling and overseeing a team of 10 describers.
- Assisted regional arts organizations in enhancing accessibility through audio description services.
- Planned and executed annual audio description training programs open to participants nationwide.
Production Coordinator
Cortina Productions
12.2018 - 07.2019
- Organized and maintained relationships with clients and external partners, ensuring seamless collaboration and communication.
- Managed project timelines, budgets, and logistics for museum clients and exhibitions, ensuring effective communication and timely delivery of interactive experiences and digital content.
- Led daily stand-up meetings, assigned team goals, and monitored project progression to ensure deadlines were met.
- Managed collections for stock image and video assets, negotiating licensing agreements with major vendors.
- Planned and facilitated client meetings, prepared detailed agendas, and maintained thorough meeting documentation.
- Cortina Productions designs and produces award-winning digital media experiences for museum exhibits.
Production Assistant
Cortina Productions
07.2017 - 11.2018
- Researched, developed, and contributed to the creation of interactive learning experiences for museum visitors.
- Crafted scripts, conducted image research, and applied storytelling techniques for films and interactive exhibits.
- Designed and administered user surveys to evaluate digital interactives and improve visitor engagement.
- Assisted in training interns and new staff on company processes and interactive development workflows.
- Cortina Productions designs and produces award-winning digital media experiences for museum exhibits.
Museum Education Fellow & eLearning Specialist
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
09.2016 - 07.2017
- Led educational tours for school groups and facilitated offsite lesson plans focused on Jewish immigrant stories.
- Developed interactive lesson plans to promote hands-on learning experiences for children.
- Designed methodologies for online teaching and interpretation.
- Created digital learning collections in the Smithsonian Learning Lab and other platforms.
Education
M.S - Arts Administration and Museum Leadership
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA01.2017
B.F.A - Studio Art and Art History
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA01.2016
Skills
- Leadership
- Public Speaking
- Management
- Strategic Planning
- Budgets
- Project Management
- Building Trust
- Creative Problem Solving
- Accessibility
- Community Building
Affiliations
- Southeastern Museum Council (2024 - Present) Board Member
- North Carolina Museum Council (2021 - Present) Board Member: Annual Conference and Professional Development Chair (2021-2024); Vice President (2025-2027)
Timeline
Director of Interpretive Strategies
North Carolina Museum of Art
06.2025 - Current
Audio Description Coordinator
Arts Access, Inc (NC)
06.2021 - 12.2022
Manger of Interpretation & Accessibility
North Carolina Museum of Art
08.2019 - 06.2025
Production Coordinator
Cortina Productions
12.2018 - 07.2019
Production Assistant
Cortina Productions
07.2017 - 11.2018
Museum Education Fellow & eLearning Specialist
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
09.2016 - 07.2017
B.F.A - Studio Art and Art History
James Madison University
M.S - Arts Administration and Museum Leadership
Drexel University
CONFERENCES AND PUBLIC SPEAKING
- Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI) (2025) Workshop Creator and Presenter; The Power of Audio Description: This two-hour workshop introduces emerging museum professionals to the fundamentals of audio description and its essential role in fostering accessibility and inclusion in museum spaces.
- American Alliance of Museums (2024) Attendee
- Southeastern Museum Council Conference (2024) Speaker and Mentor
- Washington and Lee (2023) Guest Speaker; Engaged with students to address questions about image and audio description, focusing on issues of diversity and ethics.
- North Carolina Museum Council Conference (2024) Organizer, Speaker, and Award Winner; Creating Image Descriptions and Accessible Tours for Blind and Low Vision Patrons (2023)
- Private Consultant with the Detroit Institute of Art Organized and facilitated a two-day workshop focused on creating image descriptions and accessible tours for blind and low vision patrons, featuring hands-on training, discussions with blind advocates, and collaboration with museum staff.
- MuseWeb23 (2023) Speaker with Demo; Creating Digital Interactive Labels at the North Carolina Museum of Art Demo table of digital interactive museum games.
- UNCG, School of Art Guest Lecturer (2022) Created a multi-day lecture on the importance of audio description in museums and artistic practices.
- LEAD: Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (2023) Speaker; Accessibility in Outdoor Spaces featuring the All Access Eco Trail
- North Carolina Museum Council Conference (2022) Organizer, Moderator, Creator of the DEAI Showcase; Organized the inaugural DEAI Showcase (now Resource Showcase), highlighting work from across the state focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Launched this year, the program continues annually.
- Museum Computer Network (2020) Moderator; Big Questions for Museums and X Realities: A Virtual Town Hall
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
- Emerging Museum Professional (2023) North Carolina Museum Council
- Audio Description Achievement Award - Organization Category (2023) This award is for organizations that make outstanding contributions to the quality, availability and understanding of audio description.
- MuseumNext 30 Under 30 (2022) Next Generation Summit Speaker and Award Recipient
- One to Watch (2021) Southeastern Museum Council Award
- Featured Speaker (News) (2021) NC Weekend; PBS, NC
- Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Award (2023) This award was given to the program: Mindful Museum Virtual Sensory Journey Through Art.
- Technology Competition Winner (2023) Gold Winner in the Gallery Installation Category for the Digital Labeling System
- Emerging Scholar Award (2022) International Inclusive Museum Conference
- Selected Participant for City of Raleigh ALC (2021 - 2022) Arts Learning Community(ALC) for Universal Access with the City of Raleigh
- First Place Winner; Exhibition Experience: Immersive Media (2020) MuseumWeb
PUBLICATIONS
- Immersive Media in Museums and Museum Education (2017) This thesis examines the use of augmented and virtual reality as educational tools in museums, highlighting both the limitations and benefits of their implementation. When executed properly, AR and VR can create memorable, engaging experiences, enhance learning, and increase visitor engagement, especially during a time of declining arts attendance.
- (Pending) Creating Digital Interactive Labels for Art Museums This paper details the development of a digital touch labeling platform at the NCMA, designed to enhance visitor engagement through multilingual support, video playback, high-resolution imagery, and layered content. It highlights key project phases, from ideation and software design to accessibility solutions and best practices for implementing interactive technologies in exhibit spaces.