b'staff perspective SHANICE BAILEY 17, BROWN/CONWAY POST-BACCALAUREATE CURATORIAL FELLOWAS I WRITE THIS, IM HALFWAY THROUGH MY by the limited perceptions of blackness held by the third and final year as a post-baccalau eate fellowpeople around me. My ability to exist in this place, and in the curatorial department at SCMA. Its been aany place, is burdened by the weight of anti-blackness. transformative experiencethere have been highs andWorking on that installation was cathartic in waysI lows for sure, and Im ultimately grateful to have foundwas driven by a desire to provide other black folks the my footing in an environment that supports my growth. validation and comfort of a familiar image, to bask in Im driven by a desire to excavate and elevatevisual evidence of our ability to thrive in spite of that voices and experiences that arent typically uplifted.immense weight, and by consequence, push non-black This position has given me the freedom to continuefolks to not just consume images of blackness, but take work thats meaningful to me with access to all thatthe time to develop new ways of seeing. an established institution has to offer. During my timeLooking back, I think collaboration and growth as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow at Smith, Ihave been the driving forces behind my tenure here: researched the cultural production of the AIDS crisisPost-bacc fellowships are typically two-year positions, with a particular focus on black narratives. As part ofbut I was asked to stay for a third in partnership with the this work I interned at Visual AIDS, a contemporary artJill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cen- 25organization focused on HIV/AIDS activism, advocacyter. As a young person in an ever-changing employment and education. Its mission is very close to my heart, andlandscape, it was easy to see the value in broadening I have been able to commemorate World AIDS Day bymy museum experience through the cultivation of an bringing its Day With(out) Art video programming toentrepreneurial skill set. Like so much of whatIve Smith for the last two years.done here, aligning that emerging skill set with my In addition, Ive taken on independent projectshumanities-focused work has been a challenging but that have allowed me to do close, detail-oriented workultimately generative experience. in a way that has instilled both discipline and confidenc Since my first da , Ive served on hiring in my vision as an emerging curator. I built on the ethoscommittees, mentored students, consulted on the of my undergraduate research with archival treasures:brand and web redesign, and assisted on more projects representing black subjects, an installation in the Nixonthan I can count. This work has taken me to Los Angeles Gallery. Working in the expansive spirit of Marlon Riggsand San Francisco, Chicago, Paris and the forests of Black Is.Black Aint, I sought to explore representationsSouthern France. The staff has grown significantly sinceof blackness in the museums collection of works onmy first da , and I along with it. Being a part of this era paper. It was my first time curating in a physical space, an of change within the museum has been an invaluable as a recent alumna, I knew I wanted to do somethingexperience, and Im immensely grateful for the that spoke to the specificity of Smith as an envi onment.mentorship Ive received from my colleagues across For all of the growth and joy this position hasdepartments. Im still unsure about next steps, but brought, it hasnt been without difficult . So much of myIm confident that the skills Ive developed he e will experience at Smith and in the Valley at large is dictatedserve me well wherever I go. staff perspective : Shanice Bailey 17'