The Faces of the ALLiance: Tilly Woodward

Get to know some of the facilitators behind the scenes of the Grinnell ALLiance and learn about what their work entails.

We interviewed Tilly Woodward, Curator of Academic and Community Outreach for the Museum of Art at Grinnell College

Q: Which Grinnell ALLiance group do you primarily work with?

A: I work with the Connecting Individuals group.

Q: What types of activities or opportunities does this group offer?

A: We’ve done a couple of activities over the last few months. One was a conversation we held in the Museum of Art. We invited people from all over the community to come, enjoy some refreshments, and then view a few pieces of art and think about how our own stories and backgrounds related to the art pieces or how they were different. Viewing art is a wonderful way to get people talking with others they might not have known before.

Then in late March, 2025 our group held a Dialogue Across Differences, which attracted over 80 participants from all across the community. Facilitators helped us learn how to hold difficult conversations by creating a safe place for people to reveal themselves and to learn about others.

Q: What drew you to the work of the Alliance?

A: The idea of community work, of making sure that all members feel safe and have a place and a voice in the community—that’s been an important part of my work for many years here in Grinnell. The Alliance seemed like a natural extension of things I care deeply about.

Q: Why is the ALLiance work important to your job ?

A: I deeply believe that art can be a way of helping people have conversations that might be challenging but also might involve beauty and joy. Art helps us see ourselves in new ways but also others as well. So, in that regard, the ALLiance activities really fit the mission of the Museum and the work I do. I love the outreach part of my job because I get to work with many different people from all parts of the community…across age range, across many different identities. I also have learned about the many organizations we have, how they can work together, and, surprisingly, how art fits into that in very beautiful ways.

Q: Why do you continue to stay involved with the ALLiance?

A: I feel that speaking out against racism, or making sure everyone has food to eat, or making sure that all kids can be part of literacy programs—you don’t do those things just once. They are ongoing needs. This is part of what we need to learn about ourselves, in relation to others and in relation to the community—to become kinder, more compassionate, more aware of the privileges we enjoy, just become more human.

Q: What do you appreciate about Grinnell?

A: There’s a lot of good things that happen here. The community can really come together—like during the Derecho when everyone who had a chain saw was out sawing, and the athletic teams were cleaning up yards. And during the pandemic, there was a tremendous effort to make sure that all kids had internet access. Several organizations work together in the summer to make sure kids keep reading, keep learning, have enough food, have some quality arts experiences. I think we are unique in the way we thoughtfully come together to achieve the betterment of the community.

Q: What’s something that most people don’t know about you?

A: I once drove a motorcycle from Kansas City to Washington, D.C. and back for fun. And I don’t ever have to do that again.