Art Students Catalog Vanderbilt Museum's $17M Photo Collection

Trio of art history majors gain hands-on curation experience processing the Lipschultz Collection of photojournalism and conceptual works.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 4:38am

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A vibrant, high-contrast silkscreen print of a vintage 35mm film camera repeated in a tight grid pattern, rendered in bold neon colors and heavy black outlines to capture the pop art energy of the Vanderbilt students' museum curation work.The Lipschultz Collection's trove of photographic works, spanning decades of history and artistic styles, offers Vanderbilt students a rare chance to gain hands-on museum curation experience.Today in Nashville

Art history majors Taliyah Bradberry, Claire Lee, and Justin Schwab have been given a rare opportunity to catalog and index the Lipschultz Collection, a $17 million donation of nearly 5,000 photographs spanning World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and conceptual art, at the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art. The students are gaining practical, behind-the-scenes experience in museum curation that goes beyond their classroom studies.

Why it matters

This internship gives the students a chance to apply their art history knowledge to a real-world collection, sharpening their research, organization, and cataloging skills while also exposing them to the full scope of what constitutes "art" in the modern era, from photojournalism to conceptual works. The experience is helping shape their career paths and connections within the tight-knit Vanderbilt art community.

The details

Surrounded by wrapped canvases, leaning paintings, sculptures, and box-stacked shelves, the trio are cataloging, indexing, and researching the Lipschultz Collection - a donation of nearly 5,000 photographs valued at approximately $17 million. The collection spans photojournalism covering World War II and the Civil Rights Movement as well as conceptual, artist-driven works. Bradberry, Lee, and Schwab are among the first students making the collection available to the Vanderbilt community and greater Nashville.

  • The Lipschultz Collection was donated to the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art in 2025.
  • Bradberry, Lee, and Schwab began processing the collection in early 2026.

The players

Taliyah Bradberry

An art history major in the Class of 2027 who is cataloging and indexing the Lipschultz Collection as part of a museum internship.

Claire Lee

An art history major in the Class of 2028 who is gaining practical curation experience by working on the Lipschultz Collection.

Justin Schwab

An art history major in the Class of 2028 who is helping to structure and organize the large Lipschultz Collection project.

Rachelle Wilson

The registrar at the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art who connected the students with the opportunity to work on the Lipschultz Collection.

Jennifer and Marc Lipschultz

The donors who gifted the $17 million collection of photographs to the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art in 2025.

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What they’re saying

“I am a total nerd for museums and art, so knowing I have been one of the first students to engage with the collection is honestly the coolest thing ever.”

— Taliyah Bradberry, Art History Major, Class of 2027

“Unlike a class, which is often limited to more general material-such as artworks spanning 200 years-curation focuses on putting isolated artworks into a specific context or theme. My internship has taught me practical skills, like deep research and organization, that may not be necessary for a classroom setting.”

— Claire Lee, Art History Major, Class of 2028

“Flipping through the AP wire photos reveals how far photography and art history expand beyond the walls of museums. These photographs have made me question what counts as art, when does something become art, and how the digital age will impact our understanding of photographic art in the future.”

— Justin Schwab, Art History Major, Class of 2028

What’s next

The students will continue cataloging and indexing the Lipschultz Collection throughout the 2026 academic year, with plans to curate a public exhibition of select works from the donation.

The takeaway

This hands-on museum internship is providing art history students at Vanderbilt with invaluable practical experience that goes beyond the classroom, sharpening their research, organization, and curation skills while also broadening their understanding of what constitutes modern art in the digital age.