Here's to Learning!: Meet Our Fourth Doll Scholar

Introducing Oscar Guerrero as Fourth Doll Scholar

It is my honor and privilege to be working in MOTAL for the next few months as this summer’s Doll Scholar. Like MOTAL, I am passionate about learning and education, and I am thrilled to be working with an institution and remarkable team with matching values. As a young professional in the museum field, I can’t wait to learn and grow in this opportunity at MOTAL.


My career path in the museum field started when I was living in Portland, OR. Originally from Glendale, CA, I moved to Portland fresh out of high school to pursue my Bachelor’s degree in studio art at Reed College. After graduating, I started working in the Portland Art Museum’s (PAM) Membership department, serving the thousands of members who attended PAM’s rotating catalog of exhibitions each year. During my time there, I also joined PAM’s Equity Team, a volunteer staff workforce dedicated to piloting the museum’s equity, inclusion and diversity missions. In the Equity Team, I was able to contribute to changes in museum policy, protocols and practices to better reflect the museum’s values, becoming more welcoming and inclusive of diverse groups of people. These experiences fostered my love for museums and inspired a career journey in the field. Furthermore, I have become deeply dedicated to principles of equity, justice and education.
 
After working at PAM for four years, I decided to pursue graduate school to advance my professional and educational journey in the field. I was admitted to Claremont Graduate University (CGU), where I am now halfway through my Master’s degree in Cultural Studies, with an interdisciplinary focus in Museum Studies. Not only has it been wonderful to be near home again, but CGU also has one of the most well-respected Cultural Studies programs in the country, and I am humbled and exhilarated to join their community of scholars. At CGU, my research interests include museum theory and history, curatorial practice, Latino/a/x studies, queer theory, and critical theory. CGU has been difficult, with much of my time now devoted towards research and writing, but I feel deep gratitude to be able to advance my education and career.

I also work as Public Services Assistant in Special Collections at the Claremont Colleges Library, where I connect students, faculty and members of the public with the precious collections of the Claremont Colleges Consortium. In Special Collections, I work with archival materials that are both local and sourced from all corners of the world; my duty is to preserved these materials facilitate access to our archives for the Claremont community and broader academic community. A part of my role in Special Collections is to organize and stage the various exhibitions the library hosts throughout the year. I have learned a lot about archival and curatorial practice in Special Collections, which I hope to further advance and refine at MOTAL.


From membership to equity to research to collections to curation, I am bringing a wealth of knowledge, experience and a transdisciplinary approach to MOTAL. Yet, I also hope to learn a lot during my time at MOTAL, researching their collections and previous exhibitions. Most recently, I was able to get a tour of the Two Roads, One Journey exhibit at Santiago Canyon College, where I was interested in the exhibition design and carpentry of the wooden panels, and where our team brainstormed ways to heighten promotion and marketing for the exhibition.


We also got a tour of the Mad Systems offices and lab, as we are partnering with them to design, execute, and bring to life the upcoming Your Baby’s Amazing Brain exhibit. These experiences have taught me a lot about everything that goes into putting together an exhibition, both before and after they are open to the public. Although I have only been at MOTAL for a short time, I am enthusiastic to keep learning at and from MOTAL this summer. Here’s to learning!

In Memory of Loren Doll
Click Here to View
Loren's Obituary

The scholarship will continue to be funded with annual proceeds from a perpetual account. MOTAL also welcomes any further donations to support future scholars in Loren’s memory. Note: MOTAL interns are paid for their services. They do not work for free. One scholarship will support three months of part-time service.

Checks may be sent to:
MOTAL
P.O. Box 3820
Fullerton, CA 92834-3820

Electronic credit card contributions in Loren’s name may be given securely at www.motal.org.