from Sharon Parker, Senior Seminar/Mentorship Program Coordinator
Natalie Wong has been an amazing and impressive mentorship student this year. Natalie is undertaking a mentorship with Kathy Gillis, Head of Sculpture and Decorative Arts Conservation at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Natalie sought out this mentorship because it combined her interest in chemistry and art. As she aptly pointed out in her mentorship proposal, “in objects conservation, art, history and science are united in one studio.”
The Arts Conservation Department is responsible for cleaning, preserving and presenting 3-dimensional objects on display at the museum. Natalie quickly learned that objects conservation is like a puzzle – each object is different and, as a conservator, one must come to know the object…the historical, chemical and artistic aspects of each object.
Throughout her mentorship, Natalie’s journal entries have been filled with beautifully descriptive experiences that are having a profound impact on her future career goals. Her enthusiasm in writing about the handling and treating of a beaded Egyptian necklace dating back to around 4000 BCE (with supervision, of course) or treating a Louis XV box in three-color gold speaks to the level of trust she has gained by her mentor and others that she is working with at the VMFA.
She has also enjoyed the many networking opportunities provided at the museum, not to mention the countless conversations she has engaged in about the field of art conservation. Recently Natalie wrote this in her research journal: “…[trading] stories about conservation graduate school rejection letters; the programs are limited, competitive, and require extensive portfolios in conservation, studio art and chemistry. Uncertain of where my own college experience will take me, these real experiences re-assure me of the world’s endless possibilities. While participating in this mentorship could accelerate a career in conservation, I’m not locked into any decision. There are many routes to the same end, and a struggle here or a rejection there are not the apocalypse. Dreams, desires and passions are resilient to failure, and I should not be afraid of an uncertain future.”
While reading the mentorship research journals is a time-consuming process, I am fortunate to frequently witness a growth in self-confidence and maturity of thought that can be found through a student’s hard work and dedication to their mentorship. Kudos to Natalie for a job well done!
