Closely examining the bronzes, ceramics and Buddha sculptures in the Asian gallery, I wrote down their visual features in order to collect information for my work--label writing. During the nine-week internship at the Toledo Museum of Art, I finished about sixty labels for Chinese artworks, forty for the Japanese and Korean collection, a few for Indian and Southeast Asian art, and fifteen text panels for the Asian art gallery.

Doing this internship was like taking an art history course. Different from listening to a professor and looking at powerpoints in a classroom, I was able to look at real artworks and do independent research. Because each artwork deserves a label, in the process of looking, researching, and writing, I discovered the individual beauty and significance of every piece of art.

For example, a set of Tang dynasty court musicians -- shown in the above photo -- are dressed in high-waisted upper garments with out-flaring shoulder projections, long skirts with flowing ribbons, and long sleeves falling to the knees. They have "cloud" shoes with exaggerated upturned toes, incarnations of the sumptuous beauty of the powerful Tang empire. This is the kind of interpretation that I learned to do, and my research and writing skills improved. I felt that I was truly involved in the museum, presenting valuable works for its audience and local community. 

This experience strengthened my interest in the curatorial part of museum work. As I got the chance to attend weekly meetings, I learned how a curator works. Also, I realized that I had the passion to want to know about each artwork, so I enjoyed researching and writing about art. Ultimately, I found my research interest: Chinese painting.

The Asian artworks at the Toledo Museum of Art are not what some would call "canonical masterpieces," but each represents a unique artistic tradition and a historical moment. My work with these pieces made me want to deepen my study of Chinese art.