Name: Beryl Briane Ford 
Title: Creator of In Focus, 
Former Education and Special Programs Intern at 
The National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C.  

On March 3, 2016 I penned the following reflection for my 
Museums Concentration portfolio: "My name is Beryl Briane Ford, 
and I am an Art Historian and Museum Studies concentrator 
studying at Smith College. Artwork depicting and created
 by people of color is what 
stirs my passions.

As a Museum Studies concentrator, Smith College Museum of Art 
Student Educator, and a major in the Art History department, 
I have always been concerned with the underrepresentation of 
artists, subjects, students and staff of color in arts spaces. 
Because of this concern, I always make sure to be 
intentional about 
inserting myself into arts spaces– whether by 
voicing my
 opinion in the classroom or designing tours 
and programs at the SCMA around a diverse thematic 
and cultural assemblage of artworks. 
During my time at Smith, visibility has increasingly 
become a priority for me as I have realized
 that cultural institutions are locked into certain 
inflexible structures. 

By asserting my presence and skills into the inflexible 
architecture of museums and the academy, I aim to 
make a statement 
about who can be interested in art and who can educate 
about and safeguard art.

In Focus 
was born out all of these intersections which 
remain just as relevant today.
 Enjoy!