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Undergraduate Research at UMass Dartmouth
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emits the beauty of the community on campus. My
overall vision of my project was to unite a group of
people in the common goal of embracing culture. As
evident in our country’s divide, Black students are
easily more targeted. This OUR-funded exhibit allowed
me to create a dialogue where students were
able to use their voice to express their identity and
culture. Through my paintings and the interviews
that ensued, students were able to communicate
who they are. Black students now more than ever
are afraid to submerse themselves in a controversial
dialogue. Therefore, I wanted to create paintings that
would help project their narratives.
It was truly an honor to be offered an OUR grant in
Spring 2017. This successful experience gave me the
courage and confidence to apply for external grants.
And I am particularly grateful to my professors
Pamela Karimi (Art History) and Suzanne Schireson
(Painting), who encouraged me to apply and
supported my application. The following summer, I
applied and received a Mellon Summer Internship at
RISD Museum. My position at the museum was with
the Contemporary Art department, where I worked
closely with Richard Brown Baker, Curator of Contemporary
Art, Dominic Molon, and Nancy Prophet
fellow Amber Lopez.
Some of my tasks included overseeing works and
maintaining files of nearly hundreds of objects in
the collection and preparing research on works
for future exhibitions in the galleries. I learned so
much from this program. RISD Museum’s Andrew W.
Mellon summer internship program introduced me
to museum work, the professional skills necessary
to work in the arts, and the functionalities inside a
museum. This experience shifted my perspective of
how I view myself as an artist. The busy, continuous
and challenging cycle of distributing art and curating
work is diligent, practice is valued, and production is
a priority. One of the most exciting experiences in the
museum was creating my own program for RISD’s
Third Thursday, which is an open night when the
museum audiences engage more with the collection.
My program consisted of learning about color
relationships and how they impact shape, form, line,
symmetry, and space. It was rewarding working with
such a community. I value my time in Providence and
the exposure to such programs.
In conclusion, the Office of Undergraduate Research
provided the special skills and tools that I needed
to enhance my knowledge of painting, curation, and
above all African-American life experience. Learning,
exploring, and sharing stories of African-Americans
in my community has helped me provide other students
with an opportunity to find a space to express
themselves. This project enabled me to become a
better curator, painter, and even artist. Above all, it
helped me become a critical thinker; it allowed me
to appreciate the importance of art historical and
anthropological research and to want to encourage
others to question the world we live in and instill a
sense of pride in Black communities.