HDCS Alumni, Forrest Pelsue
I had the opportunity to interview HDCS Alumni Forrest Pelsue about what she has been up to since graduating!
Lanyards of places Pelsue has worked
1. What was your thesis on last year? How did you go about it?
My thesis examined the collection, display, and discourse around craft objects in French institutions in the 20th century. I focused on the two museums that I see as framing French craft — the MAD in Paris (formerly the Musée des Arts Décoratifs) and the Mucem in Marseille (formerly the Musée Nationals des Arts et Traditions Populaires) — and explored their archives with the hope of discovering how craft has been positioned in French culture. I also relied on interviews with French curators, designers, scholars, and artists, and used French literature on the subject to support my arguments. Obviously it’s a very broad project and my thesis was the beginning of what I will continue to be years of research and writing.
2. What was the first thing you did once you graduated?
The first thing I did was enjoy my summer in Paris! I took day trips to cities like Troyes and Provins, went to any museums I hadn’t visited yet (like the Musée de l’Armée) or revisited my favorites (Musée Rodin, Musée Cluny, Pompidou), and spent time with my beloved community of fellow students and friends.
3. What have you worked on since graduating? What jobs have you been working on? Projects? Life searches? Trips? Anything is viable here. We just want to know what you’ve been doing this past year!
After a much needed retreat to the Northwoods of Wisconsin, I set off to New York City to start my career as a design historian. My first project was an exhibition review for Crafts Magazine. It felt phenomenal to see my writing printed in a prominent publication, and to be paid for it! I was also hired as a research assistant for a book project, working with the scholar who was the second reader for my thesis.
Two chairs at the Brooklyn Museum
Still, freelancing was stressful; I returned home for almost two months over the holidays, where I decided to apply for a PhD program, feeling like my only viable option might be more school. Then, in January 2019, after dozens of cover letters and resumes and a couple of fruitless interviews, I got a call from the Brooklyn Museum. My in-person interview went swimmingly–I had finally found an organization that really “clicked”, and they were looking for a decorative arts and design specialist!
Now, I work part-time in with the ASK Team, part of the Visitor Engagement department, researching the objects on display and responding to visitor’s questions. I love it — I get paid to learn about and discuss art. And the part-time schedule leaves me time to continue working on my own projects. Currently I’m running a blog and weekly newsletter of art and music events, and editing an article I’ve submitted to the Journal of Modern Craft.
4. What goals do you have outlined for yourself?
My first goal was to find a position in my field, ideally at a museum. It took 7 months, but it happened. Now my main goal is to keep writing. It is difficult to maintain an academic practice outside the context of school, so I’m trying to set deadlines for my writing and force myself to read and analyze challenging articles even if it’s not an assignment.
5. What advice could you give incoming MA students, continuing MA students, and our next class of MA graduates?
Incoming students…don’t exist, since the program is ending, right? Such a pity. The Paris program is so special: small, yet connected; less traditionally structured, but the openness comes with its own kind of responsibility; and I had access to really incredible opportunities, like working at the Mobilier National and meeting curators from CNAP, the Mucem, the MAD Paris—not just meeting, but sitting down and interviewing these people, or taking classes with them. So special. Anyway, I digress.
a Kim Weber vanity from the 1930s paired with a glass piece by contemporary artist Rob Wynne
Continuing MA students: Don’t be afraid to work hard. The harder you work, the better it feels at the end. I certainly didn’t live under a rock while writing my thesis, but I was able to focus on it intensely, and that is a privilege. If you can stay focused, you’ll have accomplished something really significant, that not many people get a chance to do. Becoming so knowledgable about a topic, whether for thesis or exam, is not merely a rote exercise, but something that you get to carry with you for the rest of your life.
New graduates: Take a break. Take a breath. Don’t feel like you have to rush on to the next thing, because anyway it’s going to take some time, and even though it can be frustrating, try to enjoy that time between. Be open to any and all opportunities, and when you do start to look for jobs, apply as widely and often as possible (job applications are certainly an unrewarding labor, until you get that call, and then it’s worth it). Do stuff for yourself too: one thing I have really enjoyed since graduating is reading a bunch of fiction.
6. What are some things you miss the most about Paris, Parsons, and being a MA student in Europe!
What don’t I miss? Even the fatigue that comes from being surrounded by a foreign language and culture is appealing to me now. Even the rude comments or uncomfortable exchanges seem a small price to pay for the endless summer days spent eating fruit and cheese and drinking wine on the canal between a visit to Pompidou and a show at the Gare Jazz. How easy it was to pop into any museum or library and soak up
Pelsue’s article in Crafts Magazine
centuries of passion and philosophy, relishing how casually I could walk by Notre Dame de Paris because, you know, I saw it all the time. Most of all I miss the people. The Parsons community is near and dear to my heart.