At Scripps, the freedom to explore an interdisciplinary curriculum and access to the textiles collection at the Williamson Gallery played a crucial role in developing my art historical interests and career path. From my first year, I was able to study the extensive collection hands-on in an Asian Textiles in Context seminar, which culminated in an exhibition on the subject during my senior year as a Wilson Curatorial Intern. The ability to explore such a wide breadth of coursework throughout my time at Scripps helped me integrate diverse fields and methodologies in my academic research, a skill I practiced while writing a senior thesis for my dual major in Art History and French.
I am fortunate to have continued my studies at The Courtauld Institute through the Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Scholarship, where I studied twentieth century dress history under Rebecca Arnold. My dissertation explored designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s work in the 1980s and how this period invites exploration of anxieties surrounding the body, gender, and performance in fashion. This is an area of study I began exploring through Scripps’ liberal arts curriculum, and continues to be a primary research interest.
The faculty of the Claremont Colleges’ art history departments encouraged creativity, curiosity, and deep critical thinking, which taught me the skills to conduct independent graduate research at the Courtauld Institute, and curatorial research at The Art Institute of Chicago and The Victoria & Albert Museum. Undertaking a wide breadth of study at Scripps has enabled me to adapt to many fields and mediums in my post-graduate and professional career, including photography, film and fashion.
The skills I developed at Scripps and passion for working with objects has led me to the auction industry, where I now work as the Department Coordinator for the Couture and Luxury Accessories and Asian Works of Art departments at Hindman Auctions. My role enables me to engage hands-on with amazing objects and their markets, and I am so pleased that the foundation I built at Scripps is so closely tied to my work every day.