Rebecca Petillo, a master’s student in the Smithsonian-George Mason University History of Decorative Arts program, searched long and hard for a fulfilling graduate program to match her personal and professional interests.
Petillo was interested in changing careers and following the path of her undergraduate degree in history. She found herself at a graduate program fair, exploring a Corcoran program in exhibit design. Finding this program to to have more of a technical, not curatorial, emphasis, she was resigned to leaving the fair disappointed. After all, she had far too many real life responsibilities to fully engage in a program that did not meet her needs.
Then she met Cynthia Williams, director of the History of Decorative Arts program, and Peggy Newman, the program’s administrative coordinator.
“I went to talk to them and asked them about the name of their program and what it entailed,” said Petillo, who was very interested in curatorial work and returning to academia. “They talked about their discipline as a material culture, and they discussed various materials with me, such as ceramics, metals, fibers, textiles, glass and furniture.I knew this discipline would interest me from that moment.”
Petillo proceeded to apply for the program and was accepted, and has found the experience extremely rewarding.
In the course of her studies at Mason, Petillo has studied decorative art from the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. She has undertaken several comprehensive, rigorous research projects, while taking classes focusing on glass, ceramics, studio furniture, contemporary craft and historical survey. She has also had several top-flight workplace appointments, including an internship with senior Smithsonian official Jane Milosch during Milosch’s time as a curator at the Renwick Gallery, and another with Richard Kurin, undersecretary for history, art and culture at the Smithsonian.
“I really love the program, and I’ve been extremely impressed with the caliber of academic work and the scholarship,” Petillo said. “Hearing our faculty members’ perspectives, knowledge and scholarship in this area is a benefit that I really value and appreciate.”
Petillo raved about taking a class with Oscar Fitzgerald, an expert on 18th century American furniture. She also mentioned a class in which she studied 2,000 years of glass production history. A highlight of this study was a class trip to the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, where Petillo explored centuries of glass art, saw live glass-making demonstrations and even got to blow glass herself.
Even the instruction is a point of pride for Petillo. A skilled writer, she has authored several papers, including one on Harvey Littleton, the father of the glass movement. In this article, she mentioned faculty member Andrea Nelson by name, citing her academic and career advice and her editing proficiency.
One thing is clear: Petillo has found her passion.
“I receive good advice here in the program,” she said. “I believe my heart may be in academia, so I'm thrilled [the Smithsonian] partnered with Mason. I may pursue a doctoral track through Mason, which would set me up better to teach.”
Petillo plans to graduate in the spring of 2013.