Over the summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with the Valerie J. Maynard Foundation as a Legacy Intern. The Foundation is an organization that is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Valerie Maynard’s artistry, activism, and advocacy. Throughout my time here, I have gained a deeper understanding of her practice and role in shaping cultural narratives, especially within the Black art community. 

As an intern, I worked on a variety of projects and tasks, from archiving her original works to inventorying digital materials online. The archival process is something that took lots of iteration to master due to the multitude of steps required to make sure the artwork is handled properly. It involves measuring the artwork, inventorying pieces using coded sheets, and trimming wrapping paper for storage. The specific wrapping paper we use is called Glassine, which is a semi-transparent and acid-free paper that helps protect delicate items from damage. The process of inventorying involves assigning an image an inventory number, which is a unique code based on the type of artwork it is. For example, if there were a painting we would categorize it as “VM-Pa” followed by an underscore with a number that indicates how many of that item there are. My favorite part of the process is inventorying the artwork using something called the “Inventory Bible”. Using this tool, we are able to assign each piece an inventory number that correlates with the type of artwork it is and how many of its kind there are. This hands-on experience gave me insight into what goes on within preservation work and enabled me to develop technical skills in the process.

One of the most rewarding parts of the internship was connecting with my fellow interns and colleagues at the foundation. Despite coming from different backgrounds and walks of life, we were able to share experiences, perspectives and ideas. This made my time more meaningful as I saw firsthand how the Foundation’s mission continues to inspire a new generation of young artists. I was also encouraged to explore Baltimore’s art scene through site visits like the Baltimore Museum of Art and Johns Hopkins, which allowed us to see the city’s rich cultural landscape. I especially enjoyed our trip to Johns Hopkins, where we toured the campus and had the chance to see the Billie Holiday and Ethel Ennis archives. We were able to view their photographs and handwritten letters to get a glimpse into how the university archives operate. Thank you to the Foundation team for welcoming us and guiding us through this journey!