Where to Begin? - “Following our Path: Regis College through its Art Collection”

By: Amy Damon, Graduate Student

            The school year just started and already we have two big deadlines looming ahead of us. Our museums studies class has been given the opportunity to design an exhibit for Regis College’s Carney Gallery. When I first heard the news this summer, I was thrilled. What better way to apply what we learned in the last 2 semesters of Museum Studies than to design an exhibit of our own? But as the semester approached, I became more and more anxious about the task at hand. The theme for the exhibit was already set as a celebration of Regis College and the Sister of Saint Joseph, using the college’s art collection as our medium. At first, this seemed like a simple task. The college has so many beautiful paintings and sculptures that we could easily fill the Carney Gallery with the college’s treasures. But what would such an exhibit say? In class we have discussed the importance of having a big idea to keep the exhibit focused and compelling for the audience. But what would our “big idea” be? What story would we tell? And how do we give meaning and purpose to the objects we choose for display? In 20 days we have to have a complete exhibit proposal ready for review by the Academic Council and in 25 days we have to submit a grant proposal to the Co-Curricular Grant Committee. As with the beginning of any semester, the work ahead seems insurmountably large but if we can pull it off, the rewards will be more than just an A in class. It will be a chance to promote the Museum Studies program and pay tribute to our school and the Sisters of Saint Joseph. How will we pull this off? Stay tuned to find out…