2024 Summer Interns: Josiah DeSarro-Raynal

The first day I stepped foot in the Chrysler Museum of Art was the first day of my summer internship, administered through the Woody Museum Studies program at William & Mary. While that’s somewhat embarrassing, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning and working in the Museum each day since! Working in the Curatorial Department under Mark Castro, the Director of Curatorial Affairs, has given me a wonderful opportunity to develop many professional skills in an environment in which I may want to base my future career. I’m a rising senior in the Joint Degree Programme between William & Mary and the University of St Andrews, studying history; I plan to pursue graduate school and eventually become an academic. Exploring art history in the vibrant and collaborative community at the Chrysler Museum has been a great way to spend the summer before my final undergraduate year!

My time at the Chrysler Museum was mostly occupied on a research project on Walter P. Chrysler Jr himself, the man whose donation of more than 10,000 pieces of artwork in 1971 made the Museum what it is today. I investigated who Walter was before he came to Norfolk and became the Museum’s Director. I combed through newspapers spanning over eight decades, reading articles that painted a portrait of Walter that brings to light his wealth, eccentric personality, and tendency to begin projects and move on to other pursuits. At different times of his life, Walter raced horses, produced movies, and ran a publishing company, all the while building his art collection.

The Chrysler’s Jean Outland Chrysler Art Library, which is named after Walter’s wife, was where I often worked. The Museum’s archives held a huge amount of material relating to Walter and his private life. With all the primary sources I accessed, I have constructed a comprehensive timeline of Walter’s life, discussing his roles in museums, his other pursuits, and important moments in the history of his art collection. This timeline will prove invaluable to Dr. Castro and the curators in their research efforts.

In addition to my main duties as a researcher focusing on a specific project, I’ve enjoyed completing small but fun tasks for the curatorial department. I’ve gained experience in writing labels for some artworks planned to go on display soon and building bibliographies for the curatorial staff, including Director Eric Neil.

The Chrysler Museum truly enables people to come alive and celebrate human expression and art.

All in all, this internship has allowed me to mature my research skills and build my experience in a non-academic setting. I’ll use both in my professional career moving forward, and I’m very thankful for the experience and the many inspiring people I’ve met and worked with. The Chrysler Museum truly enables people to come alive and celebrate human expression and art. Everyone shares their unique outlook and skills in different ways as part of a collaborative and innovative team, which it has been a pleasure to be a part of during this summer.

I’m deeply indebted to Mark Castro my supervisor, Ted Maris-Wolf at William & Mary, Dr and Mr Woody who funded my internship, Stacey Shelnut-Hendrick the internship coordinator, and my fellow interns at the Museum. Everyone has helped make this summer great, and I’ll happily remember my time at the Chrysler Museum for years to come.