After finishing my small exhibit on Victorian mourning attire, Mr. Burke wanted me to gain more experience in exhibition design, since it seemed to interest me as a future career. I was told that I could really chose any topic I wanted, and after volunteering for the annual Ghost Tour, I decided to present my topic on Grace Smyth. Grace Smyth was a local artist, naturalist and education who taught children from her own home as one of Salem’s first museums. I felt that she was someone who deserved more recognition for her talents and kind deeds for the city of Salem. Her art mainly focuses around nature in the form of paintings, sketches and sculptures.
As a student who is interested in Art History and Public History, I found that it was a great way to practice some of my skills in sort of both ways. I also know that her home being Salem’s first museum is also as important to Salem’s History, although not too much is known about her outside of her art and education backgrounds, the more I learn the more of a interesting women she seemed to be. I wish that I had the chance to meet such a person, sadly I was nowhere to being born in 1994.
