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Art Museum Senior Profile Grace Zeigler '08
Position: Receptionist
Majors: Sociology and English
Hometown: Oak Park, Illinois
Favorite piece at the museum: The bust of Faith. It's pretty and regal--and she seems a perfect example of a strong woman. My only regret is that she doesn't have a sister in a dark marble because they then would capture the multiple colors of our diverse MHC community. As a first-year student volunteering at the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, Grace Zeigler '08 helped organize the collection of netsuke, nineteenth-century Japanese carvings used as fasteners for pouches containing a person's valuables. "I made files for each of the 185 netsuke and compiled a binder of their images and accession numbers," she said. Then, while interning at the museum that January, Zeigler worked on both Eye on Water--which ran in conjunction with the Weissman Center series Water Matters--and Petal and Plumage. Those offered hands-on experience in all facets of the creation of an exhibition, from cutting mats to preparing pedestals. During her internship, she also helped with collections management and got a taste of the behind-the-scenes process of shifting the organization of older prints to accommodate newer acquisitions. The following semester, Zeigler was offered a regular position and has worked at the museum as a receptionist ever since. Though the museum environment may seem staid to visitors, Zeigler describes her job as unpredictable "because you never know what artwork may come in or what tour group will arrive." She has greeted visitors ranging from the spouses of professors on exchange from abroad to classes of second-graders from local schools. "I also was present for the delivery of pieces for the Excavating Egypt; Jane Hammond: Paper Work; and Janet Fish: Into the Light exhibitions. The different shipments and cases gave me another insider's look at the work that goes into each component of an exhibition," she said. In addition to her museum work, Ziegler keeps busy with a double major in sociology and English. She's also on the track and field team; her events include the 100-meter dash and she holds the indoor record for the long jump with a jump of 17 feet and seven inches. "I'm headed home to Chicago after graduation," Zeigler said. "I'm planning to work either in government or foundation development." Related Links: At the Museum: An Outstanding Senior Class
By the Numbers: Class of 2008 at the Art Museum
Meet the 11 Art Museum
Seniors
Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Permanent link to this story: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/news/story/5570813
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