Diego Herrera '26 is this year's UAM Collections Intern. He is double majoring in Studio Art with a focus on Photography and Documentary Studies with a minor in Journalism. We sat down with Diego and asked him to reflect on his time at UAlbany, his role as the Collections Intern, and his plans after graduation.
What was your first encounter with the University Art Museum?
My first interaction with the University Art Museum was in the spring of 2022, when I had just been accepted to the University for undergraduate studies.
My family and I attended the Accepted Student Open House in March, and after our campus tour we stopped by the museum. I spotted it on our walk and knew I wanted to take a look inside! I was really impressed by the exhibition in the Collections Study Gallery, Fruit Soup: Contemporary Vanitas by Audrey Flack and Gracelee Lawrence. I still have pictures from it on my phone! Audrey Flack’s photographs were mesmerizing because of their depth but also because of how they interacted with Gracelee Lawrence's 3D printed sculptures.
In the fall of 2023, I took Photography and Related Media, a course I had been looking forward to since my freshman year. We were assigned to write a critical essay on an artwork we saw in person, and my professor, Alison Bachorik, MFA ’24, mentioned we could use the Collections Study Space as a resource and to reach out to Darcie Abbatiello, Registrar/Collections Manager, to view work. That’s when I first learned about the Collections Study Space and everything it offers students. When I visited, I viewed Andy Warhol’s Polaroid titled Carolina Herrera, which I had decided to write my essay about because we share a surname. This is where my connection to the Collections Study Space and the Department of Art and Art History really began. I started to become more active in both.
How has your relationship with the University Art Museum evolved over the course of your four years at UAlbany?
Over the last four years, my relationship with the University Art Museum has evolved tremendously. It’s become somewhere I visit more and more as time goes by.
Since freshman year, I’ve been attending the annual Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition because I have known several of the exhibiting artists. I quickly realized how exhilarating it was to see everyone showcase work they’d made over two years. The excitement filling the room was really inspiring. I always tried to take in all that the exhibition offered and really get a sense of the work. As I continued taking more art classes, I came into contact with the museum more and more. Now, in my senior year, I have this internship, which allows me to work closely with the museum staff, and interact with other students and faculty while on and off the clock, giving them information about what the University Art Museum has to offer.
What have you learned through your experience as the Collections Intern?
Through my time as a Collections Intern, I’ve learned so many skills that I wouldn’t have been able to learn without this opportunity. One of the bigger learning curves for me has been condition reports, which are done for artworks in the Collections. Through doing consistent reports, I learned how to examine an artwork of any medium and to identify any potential issues with it or its method of framing. I learned the specific vocabulary that comes with making these reports and to articulate myself in a cohesive manner.
Something more personal to me, though, would be how being a Collections Intern has built up my confidence being in art spaces and helping me feel like I belong in them. I’ve struggled with this because I often don’t feel as knowledgeable about art and specific art topics as the peers I’m surrounded by. But because of this internship and the experiences I’ve had, I can feel more assured knowing that I do belong in art spaces.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’m graduating in the spring of 2026, which is very soon and kind of scary! I am planning on going back home to NYC after graduation. NYC is home to so many amazing opportunities, especially in the art world, so I’m very grateful to call it home. I plan on searching for museum and collection-related jobs there, using my internship as the experience needed for these positions. I also have early-stage ideas about continuing my education and pursuing a master’s in fine arts.
You are also a Student Supervisor at the UAlbany Fund Engagement Center. How important are donations to the University and its various departments? What type of impact can even the smallest donations make?
Donations are very important to the University because tuition alone can’t fully support everything. Through wonderful and generous donors, we can put money towards various programs, majors, student organizations, and institutions within UAlbany. As we like to say at the UAlbany Fund Engagement Center, “It's not about the size of your donation but rather your participation!” Even the smallest donation can make a huge impact because it adds to our total funds raised per semester. Donations of all sizes can make an incredible impact on the campus and its students!
