"Apply Early and Often" per Xin Wang '09

“Apply early and often,” was one of the most salient pieces of advice with which Xin Wang ’09, an art history major, left her audience during her April 7 presentation at the Wellin Museum of Art. Addressing a group of faculty and students, Wang focused on giving students interested in a career in museum work advice about steps that they might take during their time at the College.  The talk was sponsored by the Career Center’s Connect Arts and Non-profits team.

Wang is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in contemporary art at NYU’s prestigious Institute of Fine Arts. She also works as a teaching fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art and as an independent curator. She previously was an associate curator for Asian Contemporary Art Week and a research assistant for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Originally from China, Wang said she had entered Hamilton initially intending to be a math major, but that art history caught her attention. She discussed in particular on how international students might not realize how many career paths there are in the American museum industry. Speaking about her experience at Hamilton, Wang said that she owes a large part of her desire to study art history and work in museums to her classroom experiences and relationships with her former professors.

While an undergraduate, Wang spent time in internship programs at Sotheby’s and the Museum of Modern Art. She talked about how it is helpful for international students, those without green-cards, to apply to larger institutions, but reiterated that these large institutions are often highly competitive and that jobs at them can be few and far between.

To students with citizenship or permanent status, Wang suggested applying to smaller museums and arts institutions. She noted that there are more museums and arts-related institutions at the present moment than at any time in American history and that as this rich field continues to grow, new generations of forward-thinkers from institutions like Hamilton will continue to populate this growing industry.