I’m very surprised by how much intentionality goes into creating an exhibition. I didn’t know what went on in the background of putting a show together.
Diana Sanchez, Duke Class of 2022 and 2022 Carmichael Intern at the Nasher Museum
This summer, history major Diana Sanchez took a deep dive into part of the museum’s collection of arts of the ancient Americas.
She focused on several ceramics and textiles from ancient Peru—learning about how each object was made and used in everyday life, about 1,000 to 2,000 years ago.
Diana was fascinated with a small terracotta vessel, “A Bottle: Erotic Form,” from the Moche culture, dated to 200–500 CE.
Another favorite was “Potato effigy stirrup-spout vessel,” also from the Moche culture. Her research, under the supervision of Julia McHugh, Trent A. Carmichael Curator of Academic Initiatives, is contributing to a reinstallation of the museum’s Art of the Americas Gallery this fall.
The project includes studying provenance, the record of ownership of a work of art.
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Diana Sanchez, Duke Class of 2022 and 2022 Carmichael Intern at the Nasher Museum, gives a presentation to museum colleagues about her research. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Diana Sanchez, Duke Class of 2022 and 2022 Carmichael Intern at the Nasher Museum, gives a presentation to museum colleagues about her research. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Duke Student intern Diana Sanchez gives a presentation to museum colleagues about her research. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Duke Student intern Diana Sanchez gives a presentation to museum colleagues (from left: Ellen C. Raimond, Julianne Miao, Gabrielle Tenedero) about her research. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Museum staff use a magnifying glass with a light to view details in ancient works of art. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Gabrielle Tenedero, Museum Educator for Student Engagement, tries out the magnifying glass. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Museum staff (from left, Stephanie Wheatley, Yesenia Martinez-Yanez, Gabrielle Tenedero) respond to Diana Sanchez's presentation in study storage. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Diana Sanchez gives a presentation to museum colleagues (to her right, Julia McHugh, Julianne Miao, Wendy Hower) about her research. Photo by J Caldwell.
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Diana Sanchez demonstrates how to use a magnifying glass with a light to view details in an ancient textile. Photo by Wendy Hower.
As a history major it’s been such a unique experience working so closely with these objects, getting to learn more about their story, and getting to share it with the public. As a first-gen student, working at a museum like the Nasher has been such an exciting opportunity and it’s been so much fun interning here this summer.
Diana Sanchez