When I started at Mason, in my very first semester I had a pivotal moment that shaped my career trajectory. I took Professor DeCaroli’s Survey of Asian Art, where I realized the potential of art history to explore the histories, cultures, and economies of humanity. In 2011, I graduated with a double degree in Economics and Art History.
Upon graduation, I interned at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in the South and Southeast Asian art department. That internship led to a contract position to archive photographs of the museum’s artworks. This first contract led to another, where I reconstructed the ownership histories of objects in the collection and standardized provenance histories in the database. These experiences led to my current role of Assistant TMS Administrator. I co-manage the digital records of the 46,000 American and Asian objects in the museum’s collection. I also work with the physical objects by collaborating with the other museum departments to transport, inventory, and install/deinstall artworks. I also enable scholars’ research in our collection.
While working, I completed my Master’s degree in Art History from the University of Glasgow. I’ve published a peer-reviewed article in the Journal for Art Market Studies on the Japanese art dealer Yamanaka & Company, where I discussed the US seizure and forced sale of their Asian art collection during World War II. I wanted to bring attention to a painful but important moment in US History when the country entered World War II and Japanese people residing in the U.S., as well as Japanese American citizens, were incarcerated and their businesses confiscated by the government.
I’ve co-organized two webinars on provenance research, and wrote an essay in the Global Lives of Objects: Celebrating 100 Years of the National Museum of Asian Art (Smithsonian/Giles, 2023) on the Smithsonian curator and archaeologist Carl Whiting Bishop. I’ve presented at conferences and workshops, and lectured on collecting histories and provenance research at various national and international venues. I thank the Art History Department at Mason for their kindness, approachability, guidance, and constant inspiration.
April 01, 2024