Leading by Design

2/11/2021

By Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement

Walker ’23 explores leadership through art in VMFA Leaders in Training Program

Miles Walker ’23 was one of the many Richmonders moved by Kehinde Wiley’s Rumors of War statue when it was unveiled at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in December 2019. Rather than admiring from afar, though, Walker leveraged that interest into participation in the VMFA Museum Leaders in Training (M.LiT) program, a 12-week career-development and leadership training program for teenagers. According to the VMFA, “participants explore museum careers and serve as advisors in the development of other programs at the VMFA.” They also work with guest lecturers and VMFA staff to “develop an understanding of the function of art and museums in the community and society.” For Walker, this experience has sharpened his focus for his own future while giving him a greater appreciation for the power of art in our community.

Walker does not consider himself a typical artist. He plays in Trinity’s orchestra and has dabbled in graphic design and drawing. He is also a member of the school’s robotics team. His interest in the M.LiT program began with Rumors of War and the connection between art and social movements and change.

Once accepted into the program, Walker was grouped with three other students from area high schools and paired with a local artist, Luis Vasquez LaRoche. They interviewed LaRoche, a multidisciplinary artist, using questions they had developed as a group. These included “What would you tell your younger self now?” ,“What do you hope to achieve as an artist?”, “What do you hope to convey with your work?”, and “Is there a specific narrative you aim to capture with your artwork?”

Walker’s group then collaborated and divided up the jobs so that everyone had a role in the process of creating a storyboard that would lead to the eventual final product, a montage video with all of the M.LiT members. Walker created the Google spreadsheet for the group to manage the storyboard, using skills he has gleaned from classes at Trinity.

The final montage video was screened during a panel presentation in late January in which the M.LiT groups each presented their portion to invited guests and program sponsors. Walker’s group’s theme was “unity,” a theme influenced by his experience as a Titan. “Having experienced a sense of community and unity at Trinity, I felt this resonated as a theme for our work. Luis Vasquez LaRoche said in our interview with him, ‘The only way to get through this is together’,” and we took that in choosing ‘unity’.”

Walker thoroughly enjoyed the M.LiT experience and has several impactful takeaways from the experience. For his independent project, he created a zine focusing on what Rumors of War means to him. He also enhanced his graphic design skills and is now considering the field as a career. “I taught myself to use Adobe InDesign and created the zine based on different words that I associate with this experience: unity, moving forward, progress, inspiration,” he said.

And what does Walker bring back to Trinity after this experience? “It opened my eyes to many different kinds of art, and I have a much better understanding of the impact art can have on you and the messages it conveys,” he said. “I will have a more open mind going forward, and maybe at some point I will make something to convey my own message.”

Given Walker’s varied interest and experiences as well as his desire for unity and understanding, we all eagerly await what is to come.

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About “Connections”

Connections is a regular online column, written from the first-person perspective of Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement:

In this space, I have the privilege of sharing stories of Trinity students, alumni, and faculty and staff who are carrying our mission beyond the boundaries of campus. Many of these stories might not make the headlines, but they will illustrate how every member of the Trinity community has a unique path to discover, and the ability to make an impact on both the Trinity community and the world beyond.

I am fortunate to have been a part of this community since my own adolescence. I have been a student, a teacher, a coach, and an administrator, and in these roles I have witnessed the school’s growth and evolution through the years. We have grown in size as well as spirit.

Stories here will capture how seeds planted at Trinity have taken root and flourished into full-grown passions. You’ll also read stories of those in our community who bring their gifts from outside to help us learn. At Trinity, we seek to develop lifelong learners, and stories here will illustrate real-life examples of that beautiful symbiosis.