Oak Parker Missy Weimer has always been involved in the arts. She studied art in college and graduate school, worked as an artist and wrote about the arts for much of her early career. After living abroad for more than 8 years, she knew she wanted a new career when she returned to the United States.
Organization as a calling
“I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do,” Weimer says. “I’m trained as an artist. I have a masters in art. I wanted to do something creative, and I wanted to be around people.”
Looking for inspiration, she found it in her own life circumstances. She had moved four times, each time getting rid of everything she owned. “I never missed it,” she confesses of her possessions.
Once back in the states, she realized that many Americans were struggling with too many possessions. “We’re lucky here because we have places to put it: basements, closets, and attics, but that’s a blessing and a curse,” she says.
With her training as an artist, Weimer says she has always been process-based and organized, so she set her sights on becoming a home organizer. Her business, Life Hack Organizing (lifehackorganizing.com) filled a niche in Oak Park.
As she began to help people organize their homes and find a place for all of their belongings, Weimer hit upon another facet of the job: many people need help organizing and hanging their artwork. It was the perfect combination of two of her skill sets.
Her clients run the gamut: some are overwhelmed with stuff and others are not, but all benefit from bringing Weimer’s experienced eye into their homes. “I see the whole spectrum of homes and how people are living,” she says.
Curation
Weimer’s other job is acting as an independent art curator, something she began doing in 2001, around stints in the film industry and working as a photographer and art installer for an auction house.
Since moving to Oak Park, she has hosted local shows at the Friendly Tap, Laura Maychruk’s Arts District gallery and the Hinsdale Public Library, among other venues.
A recent curation project started with a personal connection. Jill Jeannides, a friend from her days at the Art Institute of Chicago, passed away, and Jeannides’ sister reached out to Weimer about the extensive art collection (https://jilljeannidesart.com/) Jeannides had left behind.
The two quickly became friends, and Weimer organized two shows of the late artist’s work. One of those shows was held at Maychruk’s gallery.
After the show, Maychruk, who is a Realtor, texted Weimer to says she was showing a home and saw one of Jeannides’ paintings in the home. Weimer had never seen the painting before.
“I thought I’d seen every painting she’d produced, but obviously, that’s not true. What are the odds that we would come across her painting in a house in Oak Park?”
Weimer has curated five shows in the last three years. Beyond large-scale shows, she also assists clients in choosing art for their homes.
She calls this side of her career “very niche,” noting that it’s art for the people.
People often turn to her after looking through art selections at big box stores. “It can be so expensive,” Weimer says and adds, “But you can buy an original work instead. There’s great work out there, really close to us.”
She advises clients to buy what they love. “If you’re still thinking about a piece, you should buy it.”
For Weimer, working as an organizer and a curator has turned out to be the ideal career. “I really love being able to curate and show art, as well as organize and do handywork. It’s so satisfying. I love going into peoples’ homes and helping.”
No two jobs are the same. Whether it’s hanging a wall of plates, helping find the right placement for artwork or helping someone get through their clutter, she has a tangible result at the end of each project.
“At the end of the day, my son and I talk about our days, and I show him pictures of my work.”