As an assistant curator at the Michener Museum in Doylestown, Pa., Abi Lua ’19 can confidently say she uses skills she learned in her 360° experience every day. From selecting pieces to designing exhibits, Abi draws on her knowledge of museums to curate the perfect exhibition.
In her time at Bryn Mawr, Lua had a chance to participate in three 360° clusters: Mirroring the Self, which explored the history of self-portraits and their role in museums; Trauma and Resilience Through Comics, which identified how comics and narrative writing can be a source of healing for personal and global trauma; and, Textiles in Context, which dived deep into the scientific and historical examination of Byzantine Textiles.
Abi Lua '19, second from right, at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Mirroring Self 360.
Being a history of art major gave Lua the theoretical background to succeed in her field. However, she credits her participation in the 360°s with giving her the practical knowledge that allowed her to stand out in a deeply competitive industry.
“In the museum world, getting your foot in the door is very difficult," says Lua. "Often people get their Ph.D. in art history, but can't even get an entry-level job in the museum world because they've had no work experience before. But because of these 360°s, I had that work experience, I was able to say on paper that I've curated shows, that I've read museum labels, that I have written them, that I have edited them, and that I’ve contributed to collections.”
Some of these practical skills included fiber microscopy (the method of looking at fibers under a microscope to determine age, density, and other chemical elements not visible to the naked eye), which Lua learned in the Textiles in Context cluster. In Mirroring the Self, she learned how to add descriptions and discoveries to existing collections, as well as how to design and present a new exhibit.
Beyond curatorial work, the 360° clusters Lua participated in taught her a lot about the public aspect of museum work and the way museums act as social and cultural institutions. Lua shared that her 360° clusters taught her how to organize speaker series, contact artists, and make museums and exhibits a place for sharing and gathering new knowledge and ideas.
“I do truly think the experiences taught me more than what just a class could teach. [The program] teaches you how to think theoretically, but also to think of practical applications. [The program] forces you to think intersectionally. That's something that you don't always get from a traditional classroom experience. Thinking in those ways translates very well in the workplace… it's so needed to help you think on your toes," she says.
Lua's undergraduate experience at Bryn Mawr also prepared her for a future in graduate school, which she completed just two years after graduating from Bryn Mawr. When describing her experience in graduate school, Lua explains, “The 360° laid the foundation for knowledge for my [graduate] thesis, and also just prepared me for the real world and the museum world.” The research Lua started at Bryn Mawr, and explored further through Textiles in Context, became her graduate thesis project. Lua explored the history and science of piña, a Filipino textile made from pineapple leaves.
She hopes to someday enter a Ph.D. program to study Filipino textile and art cultures, but in the meantime, she is enjoying her work curating and cultivating her skills at the Michener Museum. Recently, she led a series of talks based on current exhibits at the museum and a curator conversation with artist Mira Nakashima.
Reflecting on her experience in the 360° Program, Lua had one final message to share with the college community that she hopes students will take into account in their time at Bryn Mawr: “The 360° Program has taught me that liberal arts education is not only highly practical but also incredibly relevant. I think our society takes for granted the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge and all kinds of work. The Program, and my professional life afterward, has shown me that these connections across ideas, skills, and fields are not forced and limited to the classroom - they are already present in the workplace and our everyday lives.”
