Authors

Samina Gagné

Samina Gagné is a student in the Columbia College Class of 2016 double majoring in Art History and Architecture. She became interested in decorative arts from the Enlightenment Era after living in Brussels (Belgium) and interning at the Frick Collection and Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her enthusiasm for this “Virtual Enlightenment” project was captivated due to the involvement of digital work as a means to modernize and enhance the museum experience.

Heather Nickels

Heather Nickels is currently a junior at Barnard College double majoring in English and Art History. Her interest in the “Virtual Enlightenment” project began while taking an English class on Enlightenment era philosophy, as well as her internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since her internship, she has been fascinated by audience engagement initiatives by museums and the role that museums can play in one’s everyday life. She hopes that this project will allow the museum’s decorative arts collection to reach a broader, more diverse audience.

Jordan Sholem

Jordan is a senior at Barnard majoring in Art History and concentrating in Visual Arts. She is interested in pursing a career in interior design which sparked her interested in this “Virtual Enlightenment” course. She has interned at various interior design firms in both New York and Los Angeles such as Martyn Lawrence Bullard Interiors, Kelly Wearstler, Kapito Muller Interiors, and Aerin Lauder which helped foster a knowledge of textiles and color theory. She plans to attend UCLA’s Interior Architecture program next year.

Jacob Schneider

Jacob is a junior in the School of General Studies majoring in Art History. His interest in the inclusion of technology into the Arts brought him to this course. He is fascinated by an artistic future where so much of the world can be accessed virtually, and looks forward to how the museum will relate to this newly digital landscape.

Megan Baker

Megan Baker is an Art History major and member of the Columbia University School of General Studies Class of 2016. A New England native, she lived and worked in Berlin for five years after graduating from high school. More recently, she interned at Christie’s and created a digital catalogue for an active Brooklyn artist. Megan is interested in the evolving role of the museum in the digital age, and hopes to bring the knowledge she has gained in this seminar to a career in Art History and digital humanities.