Fellow Spotlight: Chelsea Chhem

Meet our 2024-25 Public Programs Fellow Chelsea Chhem. As part of our institutional values and commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, the fellowship program is a comprehensive, yearlong paid program that includes hands-on experience, mentoring, and professional development.  

Why are you interested in working at a museum? 

As a young museum professional, it was important to ground my work with people, supporting people any way I can for them to express their artistry. There are these precise moments of joy that only art-making (in its most expansive definition) can bring because you know another person intended it that way. They wanted to be seen, they wanted to develop something new, they wanted to bring to light something they always knew the world has yet to see. For the people where this work is meaningful, something that drives me is when they know what I’m producing, researching, curating, programming is considerate, and on my best day, it’s the greatest it can be. I always find myself in those moments where I couldn’t help being creative with the way I do this work. At every avenue I followed it led me to the museum. I think this journey began when I was one of the school kids who had been brought to a museum for the first time on a field trip, and it was such a beautifully invigorating experience to take in all the creativity, from the collection to how it was written. That feeling always drew me in and has driven me to develop a background in art history and museum studies. I always knew I would have to come back and make it my own somehow. 

What brought you to The Phillips Collection? What do you hope to accomplish during your fellowship?

I’m an example of the far reaches of The Phillips Collection. In California, I gained exhibition and visitor experiences, and our most active moments were when the museum was in community with its public. This fellowship has become an opportunity to learn how to earnestly develop public programs that fit the intimate and experimental vision Duncan Phillips had for this museum. I’m eternally grateful to work alongside this thoughtful team that operates on such a large scale, and also produces award-winning academic and community engagement programs. To be a part of this, and learn how to conceptualize, produce, and facilitate something for people is essential to how we build meaningful connections at The Phillips Collection. Ultimately, that was what I wanted. Alongside working with these vibrant people, I hope that we touch hearts along the way. 

Please tell us about the projects that you have been/will be working on during your fellowship. 

As the 2024-25 Public Programs Fellow I work with our esteemed Director of Public Programs Ashley Whitfield and beloved Public Programs Coordinator Magda Van Thienen. As a department, we research and produce all of the adult programing that takes place at The Phillips Collection such as Phillips after 5, Third Thursdays, and the Living Room. Additionally, I get to work with living artists from our Breaking It Down Artist Conversations and Creative Seedlings Dinner and Dialogues. The connecting theme of all these projects to my fellowship is also finding ways to expand our programs by introducing practitioners and small local businesses and conducting accessibility research. This is how we build a strong creative community at The Phillips Collection. 

What is your favorite painting/artist here? 

Maine Family (c. 1922–23) by Yasuo Kuniyoshi. There is something so elusive about this piece, unlike any I have seen in the collection. I have no context of who these people are. That unknowing is how I like to keep it. I also love the teeny tiny horse. 

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

Playful 

What is a fun fact about you? 

I started my artistic career as a published coloring book artist, and that has since evolved into illustrative work. I have been able to experiment with oil painting, print making, and pastels and I hope that list will grow as I live on.