By Sravani Mannava, B.S. ‘27, International Business and Finance
Alpha Zerfu, B.A. ‘27, Communication
Loreil Rivera De Castro joined the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies as a curatorial assistant in September 2024. She is a graduate student at the George Washington University pursuing a master’s degree in museum studies with a specialization in collections management. Originally from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Loreil received her bachelor’s degree in art history and modern languages from the University of Puerto Rico.
Loreil’s journey into the museum field began during her undergraduate studies. In the last year of her degree program, she worked as an assistant registrar at the University of Puerto Rico’s Museum of History, Anthropology and Art. Here, she discovered her passion for collections management and behind-the-scenes historical preservation. “I enjoyed the work I was doing at the museum,” Loreil says. In addition to the general museum environment and her colleagues, she loved “the hands-on approach.” This experience helped Loreil envision a future in the museum field.
As a curatorial assistant at the center, Loreil helps maintain and catalog the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana collection, making it more accessible to university students, museum staff and the public. Her current project involves scanning unframed objects to create high-resolution images, which supports research and publications. Her work also complements a special photography project that has produced the most high-resolution imagery ever available for the Washingtoniana collection.
Loreil’s favorite objects in the collection are contemporary postcards by Mexican-American artist Carlos Carmonamedina. “Carmonamedina portrays D.C., from the landscape to the monuments, and the daily life of people living in the city in a fun, colorful and sort of cartoonish way,” she explains. For Loreil, handling the cards is a refreshing change from working with older items like 18th- and 19th-century newspapers.
In the short term, Loreil hopes to stay in the D.C. area as she pursues a career in collections management. She is especially interested in representation, specifically in showcasing work by unrepresented communities in museums and encouraging their presence in the wider collections field. Her long-term plan is to apply the skills she has learned at GW to cultural heritage projects back home in Puerto Rico.
Outside of her professional life, Loreil enjoys exploring the District and learning more about the city’s rich history and culture. When she is not working, you can find her reading, watching movies or TV shows or exploring new sites with friends. Loreil also volunteers at the National Museum of the American Latino, where she shares her passion for community-based history with visitors and listens to their perspectives.
This post was written by students in Professor Jessica McCaughey’s COMM 3190 class at George Washington University.
About the Authors
Sravani Mannava is an undergraduate at GW studying international business and finance. She is interested in pursuing law after graduation, focusing on the intersections of business, finance and policy.
Alpha Zerfu is an undergraduate at GW studying communication. She is interested in the intersection of social media, public relations and digital photography.
Header image: Loreil Rivera De Castro, Curatorial Assistant. Photo by Hanna Leka/the George Washington University.