Fellow Spotlight: Marjorie Bryant

Meet our 2020-21 Sherman Fairchild Fellows. As part of our institutional values and commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, the Sherman Fairchild Fellowship is a comprehensive, yearlong paid program that includes hands-on experience, mentoring, and professional development. Why are you interested in working at a museum? 

I am pursuing a career in industrial/organizational psychology so what interests me most is the societal role of museums. This is my first experience working at a museum so I not only have the opportunity to analyze the policies and systems of these institutions, but how to reinforce and perpetuate change. 

What brought you to The Phillips Collection? 

I was drawn to The Phillips Collection because of the chance to use my psychological background in a museum setting, which is a rare opportunity. I stayed because of the support and the genuine effort to become a more diverse and inclusive environment. The commitment to transforming this institution to a place more representative of its community, as well as Duncan Phillips’s vision of what this museum would be, is admirable. 

Please tell us about your work at the Phillips over the fall, and the projects that you will be working on during your fellowship. What do you hope to accomplish during your fellowship? 

I am the Training, Learning & Development Fellow and I work with the human resources and DEAI departments. So, much of my time here will be spent in collaboration with these departments on the coordination and implementation of training programs for Phillips staff. During my fellowship, I hope that I am able to create new processes—and also enhance the existing processes—for Phillips staff that facilitate the development. 

What is your favorite painting/artist here? 

My favorite artist in the Phillips’s collection is Janet Taylor Pickett. She creates such beautiful representations of Black women. Also from Riffs and Relations, I was very fond of the pieces from Henri Matisse’s project Jazz (1947). Oh, and I really liked Felrath Hines’s Yellow and Gray. 

If you were to describe the Phillips in one word, what would that word be? 

I would describe the Phillips as golden. 

What is a fun fact about you? 

A fun fact about me is I am a nail polish enthusiast. That is the art I create: a nice manicure.