Written by Arts Management Intern Diana Kate Karsanow
Astrid Cabello is one of the students from the Art History Capstone course from this past fall which was responsible for the curation of the current exhibit: Desire, Conflict & Exchange Art of 19th Century East Asia & the West. Cabello is a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a double major in Finance and Marketing with a minor in Art and Architecture History. She is a publisher for UP Magazine, a Farmer School of Business Career Services Peer Mentor, and part of College Mentors for Kids.
During the semester long capstone course, all students worked collaboratively to select an overall theme, sub-themes, and a wide variety of pieces to be featured. Later on, each student chose an individual piece to highlight and explore more in-depth, researching its history and background and then compiling that information in a catalogue entry.
Cabello chose the painting Mt. Hieizan, Kyoto, by Western College alumni, Annette Covington. She researched this artwork because she was intrigued by Covington’s story and connection to Miami University. She was also attracted to the aesthetics of the work and the beautiful way Covington captured the landscape. Cabello’s favorite part of this painting was the small details that Covington included stating “What captivated me most was the two little, distant figures in the painting who are difficult to spot, but are surely there. Little details like this is what makes art so interesting to me.”
The Capstone course taught Cabello an incredible amount about exhibition curation and the behind-the-scenes of art museums. As an avid museum-goer, this experience challenged Cabello to rethink her own approach to museums. Her favorite part of the course was collaborating with her peers which pushed her to think critically and be open-minded. Cabello also enjoyed the class trip to Boston calling it “a tremendous treat and a wonderful weekend full of art.”
Cabello recommends the Capstone course to anyone interested in exhibition curation as well as students who enjoy working with others and want to see their own ideas come to life.
Learn more about Astrid’s piece along with the rest of the exhibition, Desire, Conflict & Exchange, at the exhibition website: https://sites.miamioh.edu/muam-capsp20/
Follow us on Instagram @miamiohartmuseum and find us on Facebook for updates and events!