Emily Mirales will be graduating this spring with majors in the History of Art & Architecture and Anthropology along with a minor in Museum Studies. As a dual major studying art and archaeology, Emily has developed an interest in material culture studies and the interactions that occur between people, objects, and places. Last summer, she worked in the Decorative Arts and Design Department of the Carnegie Museum of Art as a Milton Fine Museum Professions Fellow, assisting with various tasks related to the exhibition Silver to Steel: The Modern Design of Peter Muller-Munk. She has continued working with the Decorative Arts Department as an intern. Last spring, she worked as a collections management intern in the University Art Gallery, helping to standardize and expand database entries and catalog works on campus. Emily's career goals are in the museum field and her internship experiences have increased her interest in collections management and curatorial work. She has also served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for Introduction to World Art and the Museum Studies Exhibition Seminar.
Currently, Emily is researching the United States Botanic Garden and its development throughout the 19th century. As part of this project Emily travelled to Washington D.C. with funding from a Friends of the Frick Fine Arts Research Award, enabling her to conduct archival research at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution Archives, and archives held by the Architect of the Capitol. The focus of her honors thesis will be the intended educational goals of the garden, how people were able to interact with the space, and how it was depicted in period prints, photographs, magazines, and newspapers.