Skegee Spotlight: Taslyn Ware | Tuskegee University

Taslyn Ware, a junior sales and marketing student from Delaware, says she has always been intrigued by the institution of museums and their historical significance, often visiting numerous museums growing up.

"I often noticed the lack of diversity in the workers and historical artifacts. The museums I visited highlighted the impact of patriarchal figures within society, but did not include women and people of color who contributed equally to the historical success," Ware said. .

During his tenure at Tuskegee University, Ware says he had the opportunity to broaden his understanding of cultural preservation and art preservation. His English teacher, Dr. Bond, first introduced him to the idea of ​​museum curatorship.

"I met with representatives from the Princeton University Museum and the Winterthur Museum in collaboration with the University of Delaware at the Legacy Museum to discuss possible internships," Ware recalled. "From their presentations, I was instantly intrigued by the importance of diversifying the conservation of art and the imperative need to submerge the museum space."

Ware had the opportunity to receive an internship experience focused on cultural preservation and conservation with the Introduction to Distance Practical Conservation (DIP-C) with the Winterthur Museum in collaboration with the University of Delaware and Archives Research and Collaborative History (ARCH ) with Princeton University.

“The knowledge that I have gained from my two internships has allowed me to better understand cultural preservation and art conservation. From this, I will be able to educate others and elevate the field. Regarding my future field work, I would like to use my degree in sales and marketing to reach the demographics of minorities, helping them understand the relevance of understanding history through art, ”he explained.

Ware says he hopes that through his experience he will be able to spread the message to his colleagues to reiterate that our history, art and archival projects are important.

“Although I got to know the field of conservation this year, the biggest challenge I've faced is finding ways to decolonize art history and introduce more black students to cultural preservation. In many of the discussions I had during my internships, the focal point is how to diversify the world of museums, "Ware said

" By studying museum preservation, young black students can fully understand why our anecdotes are so important, "he added.

Click here to watch Ware's interview with CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/art-of-history-preserving-african-american-dioramas/[19459004

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