Art History Major Jade Shum '26 Helps Curate Art Exhibit for Chancellor's House
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This story originally appeared in the University Museum of Contemporary Art newsletter.
When Chancellor Javier Reyes and his wife, Maritza Reyes, started at UMass last year, the two proposed an idea to the University Museum of Contemporary Art: install some of the museum’s permanent collection at Hillside, the chancellor’s house.
“We wanted to make sure that we used this space to showcase something special about the university,” Reyes said.
Out of that idea was born a program, developed by the museum in conjunction with the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, that recruits students to curate an exhibition using collections from the library and museum. Supported by a stipend from the chancellor’s office, two graduate and two undergraduate students spent the summer researching and curating an exhibition titled “Music & Rhythm.”
The exhibition — located on the first level of the chancellor’s house, which is often used for hosting events — includes photographs, ephemera, drawings, and other works from the museum’s permanent collection, the library’s Robert S. Cox Special Collections, and Augusta Savage Gallery.
One of the student curators, junior Jade Shum, is studying art history and anthropology and aspires to become a museum curator after graduating.
“I think art is really beautiful because it’s an identity of people; it’s a form of resistance; it’s the way people can be embodied. ... That’s what I really saw when we were looking for pieces for ‘Music and Rhythm.’”
At a celebration of the exhibition held on October 2, Reyes said that visitors to his home at Hillside — including government officials, distinguished faculty, and donors — have already expressed their gratitude for the exhibition and how it represents the artistic community on campus.
“Thank you for indulging the chancellor and his wife,” Reyes said. “We know it’s not easy ... but I can tell you that it’s enabling us to showcase your work, to showcase the university, and to have an impact.”