By Sabrina Yeh, B.A. ‘27, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Jack Chapman, B.S. ‘24, Accountancy
Chandler Johnson, B.S. ‘27, International Business
The Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies welcomed Valerie Morales in October 2023 as a curatorial assistant. She is currently a graduate student at the George Washington University pursuing a master’s degree in art history and museum training. Valerie graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in the spring of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in the history of art and architecture.
Valerie’s passion for museum work was ignited during an art history course at UCSB. As an assistant registrar intern at UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum, she honed her research, photography and collections management skills. Seeking to deepen her museum training and art history knowledge, Valerie enrolled at GW. She was drawn to The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, admiring the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana collection and its insights into the rich history of Washington, D.C.- Working with the collection has allowed Valerie to connect with her new city.
As a curatorial assistant, Valerie helps catalog and record the collection. The position requires care and attention, as she personally handles each delicate object. This hands-on experience drew Valerie to the job. Many works from the collection, such as Civil War letters and maps, date back over 100 years and illuminate D.C.’s geopolitical history.
Valerie also supports collections photography and reviews new donations to the center’s non-circulating resource library. She takes and edits high-resolution scans of objects, which will be uploaded to the museum’s collections website through the database. This platform allows staff to document collections, exhibitions and related work.
When asked which objects Valerie likes most, she explains, “The title pages from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper are my favorite objects that I have handled so far because of how powerful and influential the newspaper was during its time.” The elaborate pages depict significant moments in U.S. history, and Valerie appreciates how the publication melded art with creative writing. Beyond her work at GW, Valerie loves to explore the District’s culture by visiting other museums and contemporary galleries. Her favorite is the Renwick Gallery, where she particularly enjoys displays of abstract art.
This post was written by students in Professor Jessica McCaughey’s COMM 3190 class at the George Washington University.
About the Authors
Sabrina Yeh is an undergraduate student majoring in psychological and brain sciences at GW. She works as a research assistant for the Fallon Goodman Emotion and Resilience Lab.
Jack Chapman is an undergraduate studying accountancy at GW. He also works as a waiter at a French restaurant in D.C.
Chandler Johnson is an undergraduate studying international business at GW. He is involved in Delta Sigma Pi and the Black Student Union on campus.
Header image: Valerie Morales looks at objects through a microscope. Photo by Kacey Chapman/ the George Washington University.