Two people looking at a gallery wall

 

Faculty & Student Resources

 

 

GW faculty and students from all disciplines are encouraged to use our collections, educational programs and professional expertise to support their teaching, learning and career development. Collaborate with us on student- and faculty-driven events, class visits and projects inspired by the museum collections.

Gallery Visits

You can arrange a group visit to our galleries to explore current exhibitions and study works on view. Guided tours are available by appointment. Please reach out to our Education Department for advice on class visits and assignments.

A group of students in conversation in a museum gallery. There is a long prayer carpet hanging on the wall behind them.

Research Center Appointments

Students and faculty have access to tens of thousands of artworks and artifacts beyond what is on display in the galleries. You can schedule a class visit to our research centers at the museum on the Foggy Bottom campus, and to our collections center on the Virginia Science and Technology Campus.

Non-circulating research library focused on textiles, fashion, design and global traditions.

Contact: Tracy Meserve, [email protected]

Location: Foggy Bottom Campus, the museum at 701 21st St. NW

Study collection of 4,000 global textile fragments ranging from antiquity to contemporary art.

Contact: Karthika Audinet, [email protected]

Location: Foggy Bottom Campus, the museum at 701 21st St. NW

Study collection of maps, prints, newspapers and ephemera, as well as a non-circulating research library, focused on D.C. history.

Contact: Kasey Sease, [email protected]

Location: Foggy Bottom Campus, the museum at 701 21st St. NW

Storage, conservation and care for The Textile Museum Collection and GW’s art collection.

Contact: [email protected]

Location: Virginia Science and Technology Campus

Student Opportunities 

A male student gives a talk to a group of seated students in a museum gallery.

Textile Research Day

Students present and network with professionals in the fields of decorative arts, art history and museum studies in this annual spring event.
 

A college student pulls open a flat-file drawer.

Evolution D.C. Blog

Students publish original research on the history and development of the nation’s capital on the museum's Evolution D.C. blog.
 

Two people in a lab

Work with Us

The museum provides GW students with professional development opportunities through part-time paid positions that provide hands-on learning and career training.
 

Two female students in traditional Chinese costume apply makeup

Propose an Event

Student groups can propose a cultural or arts-related event to be hosted at the museum during public hours.
 

Faculty Opportunities

Faculty from across the GW community can partner with us on unique projects to enhance teaching, research and professional growth. Contact Lori Kartchner, curator of education, to begin a conversation about your idea.

  • Faculty-led programs
    Elliott school professor lecturing to large group of students

    Faculty-led programs

    Jennifer Brinkerhoff from GW’s Diaspora Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs partnered with the museum to bring diaspora research to a broader public through educational programs and a published catalog in support of the exhibition Stories of Migration: Contemporary Artists Interpret Diaspora.

  • Exhibition design
    Student explaining printed design work

    Exhibition design

    Graduate students in visiting professor Barbara Brennan’s exhibition design course at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design collaborated with curators to gain practical experience designing an exhibition with real artworks in mind.

  • Curatorial experience
    students and professor discussing museum exhibit

    Curatorial experience

    Undergraduate students in Professor Denver Brunsman’s advanced history course helped curate the exhibition George Washington and His World, working with Assistant Curator Jackie Streker to select, research and write labels for the objects on display.

  • Creative projects
    Students filming videos outdoors

    Creative projects

    Students and alumni from the New Media Photojournalism program at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design produced short films about cotton, wool and other textile materials and techniques for the museum’s interactive Textiles 101 gallery.

  • Exhibition research
    Faculty and students having discussion at large table

    Exhibition research

    Inspired by professor Bibiana Obler’s exhibition and courses on Fast Fashion/Slow Art, students and staff from GW’s Office of Sustainability and the Corcoran School joined with the museum to develop educational programming on campus focused on sustainability in the textile industry.