Last semester, I assisted with research for the upcoming Fall 2017 exhibition of the museum's collection, which I enjoyed it a lot because I've always wanted to have a career that involves research. As someone who has not been exposed to many artists outside the canon, this project exposed me to many more artists that were influential in the art history. Some of my favorite artists that I encountered were Josef Albers, Reginald Marsh, Karl Blossfeldt, and Ilse Bing.

In addition, one of the artworks I researched, entitled Interior, Apartment with Piano, which will be included in the Fall exhibition, was by a previous Hamilton College professor of art named James Penney. As I was researching his career, I was blown away by his art and his contribution to this school. Going into this project, I didn’t think any of the artists would have connections to Hamilton. To know that a famous artist taught here is amazing. It was definitely fun reading about Penney’s practice and his contribution to Hamilton College and its alumni’s art careers. James Penney was well-known for his later works of landscapes, but I prefer his earlier works of New York City landscapes. Through research, I was able to look at his other works, and one stood out to me: Subway--Interior. I am from New York City and I always like to see how artists depict the city.