Halona Norton-Westbrook
Halona Norton-Westbrook
PhD Research
Working under the supervision of Dr Helen Rees Leahy (Director, Centre for Museology) my research focuses on the history of curatorial practice in the art museum in the twentieth century. Specifically, my project seeks to examine the ways in which changes in the academic study of art history and the evolving professionalization of curatorial work have come to influence both the practical and philosophical methodology employed by art museum curators. Concentrating on a handful of institutions in New York and London, such as the Tate Gallery, the National Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Wallace and Frick Collections, my project explores the alternate ways in which the artwork within these institutions has been approached and interpreted by curators throughout the course of the twentieth century.
Biography
My interest in museology grew naturally out of my interests in history and art, as well as my professional experience working in museums. Originally from California, where I earned a BA in Studio Art and History from Mills College, I moved to the United Kingdom in 2006 to pursue my MA degree in the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Under the supervision of Giles Waterfield, I wrote my MA Thesis on the history of curatorial practice in late nineteenth century London. When considering where and with whom I wished to pursue my doctoral research, I was drawn to the Centre for Museology because it afforded me the opportunity and the support to explore both museological and art historical issues within my research.