05/21/2026
Caitlyn Fong is a third-year graduate intern at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). During this year-long placement, Caitlyn is supporting community and researcher visits, and preparing items for their return to communities. She is also treating and documenting items for exhibitions, and assisting with collections maintenance tasks.
For an upcoming exhibition of Indigenous miniatures from across the Americas, Caitlyn is an active member of the exhibition team alongside Conservator Beth Holford. She has been researching, treating, and working with Mountmaker Shelly Uhlir on a wide range of materials. Some of her favorites so far have included bead-sized mini Pomo baskets, and a musk oxen mask made of walrus ivory and feathers. These miniatures have been created with the utmost care and reflect a high degree of skill that is evident under the microscope.
Caitlyn also recently participated in the Always Becoming sculpture project, working with artist Nora Naranjo-Morse and her family on the revitalization of the sculpture family for NMAI’s participation in the Smithsonian’s 250th programming.
Images:
[1] Caitlyn holding a wooden miniature chair made with mortise and tenon joints, with a woven seat. (Doll’s chair, 144064.000, Nahua, Mexico)
[2] Discussing mounting options with Mountmaker Shelly Uhlir for a model stove woven out of rye sea grass. (Stove model, 019261.000, Yupik, Alaska)
[3] Caitlyn and Conservator Caitlin Mahoney dusting a Tlingit totem pole at NMAI-DC. (Kaats (depicting the story of a man who lived with a bear family), 263856.000, Nathan Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Dorica Jackson, Tlingit, Alaska)
[4] Dusting and assisting with the crystal mitigation project at NMAI-NY. (My Love, Miss Liberty, 255563.000, Rosalie Paniyak, Cup'ik, Alaska)
[5] Reshelving items after a researcher visit.
[6] Caitlyn, Head of Conservation Kelly McHugh, and artist Benito Steen adding lines to the newly mud-plastered walls of Always Becoming (265840.000, Nora Naranjo-Morse, K'apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo)).
