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Grad Makes His Way from For Immediate Release: 
Harry Perez '08 says he enjoys creating a vision for a museum exhibit and seeing that vision through to completion. RICHMOND, Ind. — Harry Perez '08 says he came to Earlham to get away from everything he knew growing up in New York City. He saw it as an opportunity. He didn't realize just how much that opportunity would help him land a prestigious 10-week internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "I grew up going to the Met," Perez says. "Not until just recently did I think about returning to work there." Perez was one of 12 interns selected from more than 900 applicants. He reports that one of the application screeners had personal Earlham connections — both her husband and brother-in-law were graduates. "I never would have expected that being from Earlham would give me an extra push into the Met," he says. Perez had applied for an internship in the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas department, but because the lead curator of that department will be away this summer, Perez will intern in Public Relations. "I've done extensive research and studied aboriginal Australian and African art as an art major; these were my two main areas of focus," Perez says. "During the interview I was told that I really stood out as an applicant." Perez, who double majored in German and art with an emphasis in art history, says his application included a May Term course in Art Culture and Ecology of Aboriginal Australia, a semester-long off-campus course studying art history in Vienna, Austria, two years of Bonner Scholar service as assistant curator of collecting at the Richmond Art Museum (RAM) and a summer Fulbright internship in Germany studying poverty and demography. Also during the interview, Perez was told that most interns remain employed at the museum at the end of the internship. "After the internship I hope to continue on in the Art of Africa and Oceania department," he says. "I would love to be a curator at an art museum or institution like the Met, which is focused on arts from around the world. Now I have my foot in the door." Perez came to Earlham not knowing what his major would be, but two events helped clarify his path. During his semester study in Europe, he says he became consumed by the aesthetic of Vienna. "You live in art basically," Perez says. "That's where my interests began to develop and flourish." When he returned to campus, an Arts of Africa course required him to research an unknown item from Earlham's permanent art collection. "I knew I had been given some type of fertility doll," he says. "Through e-mail and correspondence with leading experts, I was able to learn that it was a Ham Pilu doll of the Fali people of Cameroon and Mali. Once I did this, I knew this was the direction that I wanted to go." His work at RAM added to his enthusiasm. "I curated exhibits, cataloged objects and registered works," he says of his volunteer hours at RAM. "I combined this work with the path I pursued in academics and the two sort of came together." Beginning in June he will spend two days each week leading tours, two days working with various museum departments and other interns. One day each week will consist of field trips, lectures, meetings and other educational components. "It's interesting that I came to Earlham to get away from the city, and now my Earlham education is bringing me back," he says. — EC — Contact:
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Earlham
College · 801 National Road West · Richmond,
Indiana 47374-4095 |