Careers in the Museum Field

How did your involvement with the arts and/or museums during your time at Washington and Lee influence your career?
As an Art History major and Museum Studies minor, I was lucky enough to work very closely with Ron and the Reeves Center during my time at Washington and Lee. It was there that I really honed my love of Decorative Arts that I have carried into my career. Because of everything I learned from Ron and the museum team, I was able to enter the auction world with a very strong knowledge of Decorative Arts that one cannot typically gain from a college education, and it has helped me immensely to move up in my field.
What is it that you do now?
I now work for Christie’s Auction House in New York City as a Junior Specialist in the Decorative Arts Department, specializing in Ceramics and Asian Works of Art. I get to interact very closely with the objects that we sell and see some incredible things.
What do you consider your greatest achievement in the arts or museums? (Could include history, culture, anthropology, etc.)
My greatest achievement so far is getting to work with the estates and collections of some of the world’s most influential people, particularly the Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, which we sold in 2018. 陶瓷, in particular, in the collection were spectacular and I learned so much just from handling and studying them.

What was your major at W&L, and how does it apply to your career now?

I was a double major in art history and classics, which have both been invaluable in my work at The Met. Classics was really the entry point for me into art history; my love for Latin and Greek poetry and seeing how artists translated those texts into sculpture and painting cemented it for me!

What was your first job after graduation?

My first position was as an assistant administrator in Modern and Contemporary Art at The Met.

How did W&L prepare you for your career?

I feel particularly fortunate for the international scope of the Art History Department, which has been crucial for my current work. My studies in classics taught me intense attention to detail and a life-long love for language.

Read Padget Sutherland's complete Alumni Profile.

The Museums at W&L advance learning through direct engagement with the collections and facilitate an interdisciplinary appreciation of art, history, and culture.