Thank you to the Museum’s Academic Year Student Employees

With the blooms of spring marking an end to the 2022–23 Academic Year, the Museum would like to recognize the work of our student employees over the past year. This year’s cohort of seven Student Assistants and ten Student Ambassadors have been great additions to the BCMA team. Together, they have made significant contributions to our daily work, and it has been rewarding to watch their projects unfold across curatorial, educational, digital, and programming endeavors. 

The three Student Curatorial Assistants, Mei Bock ’24, Silas Brown ’24, and Sophia Wei ’23, have been involved in developing materials and conducting research for a diverse array of current and upcoming projects.

Mei Bock ’24, an English and Visual Arts double major from New York City, has worked closely with Co-Director Anne Collins Goodyear on the forthcoming William T. Williams exhibition. As a practicing artist and native New Yorker, Mei has enjoyed delving into Williams’s biography and career. “I have had a fantastic time as a BCMA intern with Anne Goodyear, focusing on the upcoming William T. Williams exhibition,” she shared. “It has been incredibly fulfilling to immerse myself so deeply in the scholarship on Williams’s career and work. I am so excited and grateful to be able to continue working on this project next year!”

An English and Africana Studies double major from Burlington, Vermont, Silas Brown ’24 has assisted Co-Director Frank Goodyear on several projects. He contributed to an upcoming project about art and ecology on Monhegan Island, as well as this summer’s People Watching exhibition. Reflecting on his curatorial experience, Silas said: "When you go to a museum and see the finished product of an exhibit on the wall, you don't necessarily think about all the steps that went in to making this exhibit happen. However, most museum exhibits are planned multiple years in advance and have tons of research, writing, and planning involved. Being able to be a part of this process was really an amazing experience.”

Sophia Wei ’23, an Art History major and Economics minor, has spent this past year on a special research project on the BCMA’s institutional history with Anne Collins Goodyear. “Working at the Museum has been one of my favorite parts of my time at Bowdoin,” Sophia shared. “Not only did I learn about the Museum’s rich history, but I also had the chance to gain a deeper understanding of the different aspects in museum work through the incredible mentorships and opportunities that were at the core of my internship experience. I am thankful for this learning experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the art world.”

As our Lead Digital Media Assistant, Cheng Xing ’23 wrapped up his tenure at the Museum this spring. Cheng is a Computer Science and Math double major originally from Beijing, China. Throughout his time at the Museum, Cheng has been instrumental in helping to digitize works in our collection. His broad scope of expertise, ranging from High-Resolution imaging to 3-D scanning, has aided the BCMA tremendously over the past two years. This semester, Cheng also trained several members of Museum staff on the basics of imaging techniques and photography equipment available at the Museum.

In addition, this year’s three Education Assistants have made a dynamic team that led several educational and community outreach initiatives. Sinclaire Ledahl ’23, Rania Janmohamed ’25, and Joseph Park ’25 have also worked collaboratively to oversee the hiring, training, and organizing of this year’s Student Ambassadors program.

Sinclaire Ledahl ’23, a Psychology-Education coordinate major and German minor originally from Los Angeles, California, had helped to launch the Student Ambassadors program last year, alongside Jane Wang ’23 and Ramiro Storni ’23. This spring, she has envisioned the new Community Comments board, now installed in the Museum’s pavilion, which provides audiences with interactive prompts to create an open space for exchange and dialogue. Sinclaire expressed her appreciation for the range of projects in which she participated this year: “From creating a Bingo game in the galleries to designing the Community Comments board in the pavilion, I have been able to execute visions for Museum projects that engage the community and hopefully encourage visitors to feel welcome and included at the BCMA. In addition to these physical projects, I have loved being a part of Family Saturday events and merging my love of the BCMA with my passion for education and working with young children.”

Rania Janmohamed ’25 is a Neuroscience-Education coordinate major from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This year, Rania collaborated closely with Joseph and Sinclaire in running the Student Ambassadors program, from leading weekly meetings to facilitating Ambassador-led events. Rania also spent time researching museum labels and has worked on a visitor’s guide to help audiences engage thoughtfully with interpretative texts. Reflecting on her year at the Museum, Rania said: “It has been a privilege to work at the BCMA this year! I have learnt a lot collaborating with the curators, education interns and Ambassadors to design activities and facilitate Family Saturdays." 

From Manalapan, New Jersey, Joseph Park ’25 is a Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies (LACLaS) and Education coordinate major with a minor in History. In addition to his work with the Ambassadors, Joseph has devoted his time to promote multilingual learning within the BCMA. He created a bilingual family guide in Spanish and English and played a lead role in April’s Community Open House co-hosted by the Museum and Multilingual Mainers. “It has been a great experience forging connections with the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and visitors,” Joseph commented. “With my work creating educational resources and collaborating with the Student Ambassadors, it has been fulfilling to see more faces in the museum and seeing them engage with the artworks in a meaningful way.”

Throughout this year, the Education team at the Museum greatly enjoyed working with our 2022–2023 Student Ambassadors. This year’s cohort included Alex Kruse ’26, Caitlin Panicker ’26, Julia Smart ’25, Lexi Camargo ’25, Khue Anh Tran ’25, Aleena Nasruddin ’26, Yewon Kim ’24, Audrey Fillion ’25, Dylan Richmond ’24 (fall), and Jane Olson ’24 (fall). This year marked the first full Academic Year for the program since its launch last spring. Bringing their diverse interests, studies, and perspectives to the BCMA, the group engaged multiple student clubs and groups such as the Film Club, American Sign Language Club, and the Ambassadors’ first year floor cohorts. Throughout the year, they led crafting activities and scavenger hunts in conjunction with Family Saturdays and Homecoming weekend, conducted tours of current exhibitions to both students and members of the public, and welcomed prospective students for Admissions’ “Bowdoin Bearings” weekend. Additional highlights of this year included an event with creative crafts to celebrate the end of semester during the fall reading period, as well as a special collaboration with the Multilingual Mainers program this spring. We are grateful to the Ambassadors for their continued excellence in connecting the BCMA with our community and making the Museum a welcoming space for all.

We have enjoyed having our student employees at the BCMA this year and are grateful to them for bringing their enthusiasm, energy, and engagement to the Museum. We would also like to extend our warm wishes to our graduating students as they embark on their next chapter. 

Sabrina Lin ’21
Curatorial Assistant and Manager of Student Programs
Bowdoin College Museum of Art