NAME: Gabi Doiron
PROGRAM: Combined Honours in Humanities and Art History, fourth year
FIELD OF RESEARCH: Art History
1. What have you been doing with your I-CUREUS research?
Professor Michael Windover (my supervisor) is currently working on research for a prospective exhibition on material and visual culture surrounding radio and interwar radio culture in Canada entitled Seeing, Selling and Situating Radio in Canada, 1922-1956. The project is highly collaborative, including work with Professor Anne MacLennan at York University. My role has been researching exhibition theory and design and considering education strategies for the exhibition.
2. Why did you choose to do I-CUREUS?
I was eager to do research work outside of my classes and was thrilled to find out about I-CUREUS. I am exploring my professional goals and this seemed like a great opportunity to gain personal and professional development while becoming familiar with some of my career options.
3. How is it related to your course work?
I first met Professor Michael Windover last year in his class on Art Deco and interwar modernity and design and culture. In the class, he talked a lot about how objects speak and this was my first forray into material culture studies. The work I am doing for I-CUREUS is a continuation of some of the coursework I did for Professor Windover. Beyond Art History, I have interests in museum and art education. Overall, I-CUREUS has allowed me to bridge theoretical curriculum with practical skills. Also, with my background in humanities, I am pretty comfortable with theory so this connects well with my knowledge.
4. What is the most valuable skill you have gained from the experience thus far?
My research skills have improved a lot. This role has meant I have made use of inter-library loans more than I ever had before. I have also become much more efficient at distilling the theses of texts. Due to the nature of my research, I am becoming very familiar with current debates concerning exhibition theory and how visitors learn within exhibitions–all of which would prove very useful for graduate studies and a career in museum or art education.
5. What would you tell people considering participating in this opportunity?
I think it is a really unique opportunity to see what professors and academic professionals are doing outside of course work. You get to see first-hand what a career in academia involves. It is also a great confidence-building experience to work alongside academic professionals. I have found it a highly collaborative process; my supervisor has been very flexible and open to accommodating my research interests. In this way, I have found that I-CUREUS provides students with an invaluable learning experience, as well as the opportunity to develop personally, professionally, and academically guided by academic professionals. I would highly recommend the experience!