Ana Calderon gains oral history interviewing skills as a Graduate Museum Fellow (GMF)

May 23, 2025

Ana Calderon was a 2024–25 Graduate Museum Fellow (GMF) for the Archives at the Yale Center for British Art. Throughout her year, Ana conducted interviews, recording her conversations with individuals affiliated with the museum as part of the oral history program. Working under the supervision of the YCBA’s archivists, GMFs have contributed to a repository of memories from individuals involved with the museum’s founding, design, curatorial departments, and administrative staff.

“I applied for this position because I was interested in honing my oral history interview skills,” explained Ana. “As a doctoral candidate in Yale University’s department of history, I had conducted interviews with former community organizers and aid workers in the Caribbean archipelago as part of my dissertation research. Prior to this, I had no professional experience with oral history, and I knew that if I wanted to deepen my understanding of the field’s practices, I would have to receive guided training.”  

Ana developed a project that focused on former Yale students who had been employed by the YCBA in different departments. Her main objective was to explore how the organization shaped the careers of future art historians and professionals involved in the arts.  

“As a historian, I know museums offer an invaluable contribution to the field because they make history accessible to the public through exhibitions, providing educators with useful teaching tools for students,” said Ana. “Beyond its robust collection of British art, the YCBA is also a study center where art historians conduct research and gain curatorial skills through internships.”  

Ana consulted bursary records to identify Yale students employed by the YCBA between 1977 and 2000. After creating a list with the names of student workers, she began searching for them online. She was delighted to discover that many of the individuals had prominent careers in museums or other art-related fields.  

She contacted a total of thirteen former Yale students. Five of these individuals responded enthusiastically and agreed to be interviewed. Throughout the fall, she conducted several interviews, which are now included in the Archives at the museum.  

“Individuals interviewed for this project recognize the contributions the YCBA has made in their careers,” said Ana. “It is not surprising that all have been employed in museums as either curators or administrators.”  

Ana’s Graduate Museum Fellowship was an enriching experience for her, allowing her to gain valuable skills that are relevant to her field as a historian. This fall, Ana will be a lecturer at Yale College.  

“In the future, researchers consulting these interviews will gain insights into how a specialized museum like the YCBA serves as a training center for museum workers and academics,” said Ana.  

Ana’s interviews are part of the YCBA’s oral history project, which will be available to the public through the Archives in the near future.