Sarah Knee's interest in art started when she was young.
Now, after years of studying across the nation, Knee is back in her hometown, managing the new Jefferson City Museum of Modern Art (JCMoMA). The museum opened in October and is owned by Knee's father, Richard Howerton.
Knee said she began taking art classes from a really young age, continuing through her high school years.
"I just kind of always knew that that's what I wanted to do," Knee said. "Every aspect of my life feels like a part of art design."
After high school, Knee began studying art in locations across the country, from Boston to Chicago, trying her hand at all different aspects of art and design.
"I've dabbled in everything," Knee said. "I really like taking my skills as an artist and applying them."
Knee said she's used her skills in floral design in Boston, even studying landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, which is where she learned more about how to use her art to figure out how different things work.
"The process of understanding takes place with your hands," Knee said. "It's kind of like a visual diagram but in 3-D."
Knee said she and her husband came back to Jefferson City about three years ago when she was pregnant with their first child. She said they both wanted to be closer to family to help with their children. When she found out more about her father's plan for the downtown museum, Knee said she asked him if she could be involved.
"I think he was relieved to kind of let me take over a lot of the work," Knee said.
She began to take over the graphic design and website for the museum, and hopes to increase her role as her children get older.
Knee's own art tends to combine her interests in geology with her artistic skills, focusing on textural pieces that often mimic land formations.
Once her two young children are a bit older and both in school, Knee said she'd love to get back to her art and is particularly interested in the unique landscape of Missouri. But, for now, she said, there is no time for hobbies.