Back from the break beginning with Ginnie Murphy!
Welcome back from winter break and happy beginning of the Easter semester! We are continuing our conversations with art history department alumni and sharing more interviews this semester. Be on the lookout every Monday for our conversations. We are hitting the ground running with recent graduate Ginnie Murphy (C’21). She has an interesting story to share, so enjoy!
Did you have any internships during your time at Sewanee? If so, what were they?
“Yes, I did. My first real internship was in New York after my sophomore year with the fashion designer, Christian Siriano. I had the opportunity from a Sewanee connection. I thought that I wanted to work in fashion, fashion production, or design.
“The next summer was when COVID hit, so I got a last-minute internship at Studio Gallery in DC, where I’m from. I got that job just by cold emailing them, so doing that is worth a shot. It was a great way to learn what it’s like in a small gallery and work with a small-scale inventory within a local gallery.
“Then, during my senior year, when we had the really long winter break that was three months, I worked as an intern at the White House Historical Association, in the President’s office.”
What made you decide to major in Art History?
“Given that I’m from DC, I thought I would be a politics major. In my first semester at Sewanee, I was put into a politics class and an art history class. I hated the politics class and loved the art history one. It was Survey of Western Art II with Dr. Brennecke, and I fell in love. I worked super hard because I really wanted to get an A in her class. While I was doing that, I realized that was exactly what I wanted to do. So, I immediately signed up for the other survey class for my second semester.”
What was your favorite art history course you took at Sewanee?
“There’s a tie between my two favorite classes. My first one would be Survey II with Dr. Brennecke. I find that one especially useful for my current job now, given that’s my department.
“The second class was Contemporary Chinese Art with Dr. Miller. It was a new class in the department, and I had never been exposed to anything like it before. I hadn’t previously thought I was interested in contemporary art.”
Where did you go after graduating? What’s your story postgrad?
“When I graduated, I was dying to find a job in the art world. I thought that I wanted to work in a museum in DC because I wanted to move back home. I ended up getting a full-time job at the White House Historical Association in Fundraising as a Development Assistant. The morning before I graduated, they called me and told me that I got the job, which was exciting. I worked there for 9 months from May to February. I really enjoyed it; however, I then wanted to move to New York and I knew I didn’t want to stay in development.
“In December, I had a call with a Sewanee alumnus at Christie’s, and their department needed an intern. I immediately quit my job, and within three weeks I became an intern in the Old Masters department. I got so lucky. I was doing research and cataloging for the June sale. Three months into the internship, a woman got promoted, so I applied for her role and got it. I now work full time as a Department and Private Sale Coordinator at Christie’s, in Old Master Paintings.”
If you had to give one piece of advice to your college self, what would it be?
“It will all work out in the end. Nobody’s path is a straight line. I thought I had to have a big museum internship or work at a name-brand place, but that’s not always the case. When I graduated, I had never dreamed of where I’d be now. With that, take whatever you can get, and it will work out for you.”
What’s your favorite museum/ gallery/ exhibit/ work of art you’ve seen recently?
“When I was home in DC, I went to the National Gallery and saw the Sargent and Spain show. It was the most amazing one I’ve seen in recent memory. It was fantastic. I’ve always loved Sargent, and usually his portraits, but this exhibition was primarily of his landscapes and gentile scenes..”
How has your art history major helped you in your daily life?
“Art history really gives you the skills of visual analysis and language. In any job, whether it’s business, development, or marketing, you must be good at analyzing aesthetics and images. It is so beneficial to have an eye for detail. I especially find value in the skills of writing in general and more specifically cultural writing.”
Thank you so much, Ginnie, for your time and for sharing your story with us! If you are interested in hearing more about Ginnie’s experiences and would like to connect, don’t hesitate to reach out! Be on the lookout for our conversation on next Monday with Jan DeLoizier (C’16).
– Sewanee Art History Department