Garrett Swanson: finding beauty in the unappreciated

Home Culture Garrett Swanson: finding beauty in the unappreciated

Garrett Swanson ’12 said his favorite piece of artwork at the Detroit Institute of Art is something he sees patrons consistently ignore when visiting the museum.

The piece is a 15th-century terra cotta, polychrome sculpture of the Madonna with child, attributed to the renowned Italian artist Donatello. Swanson said he likes discovering the underappreciated pieces in the museum.

“The museum is so big. It can get overwhelming, so people don’t even realize what they’re walking past,” Swanson said.

In a lot of ways, what Swanson does for the Detroit Institute of Art is similar to the Donatello sculpture. His position may seem small, but his efforts allow the public to appreciate the artwork in a setting they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Swanson, who calls himself an “elevated curatorial intern,” is the aid to Detroit Institute of Art curator Kenneth John Myers and a curatorial research assistant in the field of American art.

“In the museum world, there’s not always funds to pay those who are working in the museum,” he said. “It’s one of those things that have always plagued the field. What often happens is you’re in the field going unpaid for several years before you receive a position that has benefits.”

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, a place Swanson described as having “not a lot of culture,” Swanson knew early on in life that he wanted to work for a cultural institution and be able to work with great art every day.

Swanson graduated this past December as an English major with interests in art history. He was also a member of the Hillsdale College Chamber Choir and Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Swanson said Hillsdale College was instrumental in cultivating his appreciation for art and music. Last year, he began actively pursuing internships at the Detroit symphony, opera, and museum.

When he realized DIA was the fifth largest museum in the nation, Swanson recalled telling himself that “he needed to get his act together” if he was going to get the internship.

“I couldn’t distinguish Manet from Monet two years ago,” Swanson said.

After a lot of legwork and personal effort, Swanson received the internship at the DIA to work this past summer.

“It was very providential,” Swanson said. “Just as I put in my application, they needed someone at the museum at that point in the community outreach area.”

President of Delta Tau Delta, senior Scott Rode, describes Swanson as being a “valuable” brother and said Swanson has a great opportunity at the museum.

“I know that Garrett has had the opportunity to work alongside and be mentored by some of the best, and that he is extremely thankful for all of the blessings and opportunities that he has received, as they are dreams that he has had for a long time,” Rode said. “He has also had the chance to handle some of the works that we’ve talked about in our classes at Hillsdale, which is very cool.”

This summer Swanson was part of a group that took reproductions of masterpieces from the DIA collection and put them out into the community. The close relationship of the museum with the community is part of what Swanson loves most about working there.

“What I love about it is there is a real awareness of the community at large,” he said. “They really make an attempt to make the uninformed viewer to feel comfortable in what is normally an intimidating setting.”

When the internship was over, the museum asked Swanson to come back on in January.

“There’s really not a typical day. I’m basically being the aid to Dr. Myers. I’m not his secretary as much as I am his research assistant.”

In any given day, Swanson said he answers questions for scholars by researching when they call in. One of the most rewarding inquiries that came in to the office came from a man in New Hampshire who believed he owned an original Thomas Cole piece.

“We have all of [Thomas Cole’s] notebooks, and this man believed he had the drawing which corresponded with this lost painting. I got to read the original. It was one of the most sublime experiences I’ve ever had. I got to experience [Cole’s] vision.”

In the future, Swanson wants to continue this close, hands-on interaction with artwork by working in an auction house. Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London has a graduate program specializing in American sign and decorative art, which Swanson is considering.

“There’s something in these works that the greatest minds we know are inspired by,” he said. “I wanted to be able to look at these works in the same context as these great minds.”

One thing is for certain: Garrett Swanson will always have art in his life.

 

 

                                    rturnbull@hillsdale.edu