Meet a VC Intern: Brandon Waldau
/Learn more about one of our 2021 VC Summer Interns Brandon Waldau, our Getty MUI Archives Exhibition Associate!
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Brandon Waldau (he/him), and I am a rising Senior at Bucknell University. I am a History and Arabic double major and am looking forward to finally being back on campus in the fall. My senior year will primarily focus on applying to graduate programs, as well as continuing my work as a curatorial assistant for an online archive. I am a people person. I like to connect with others in person, but the pandemic has moved so much of my time with others to a virtual space. You can probably find me talking to friends and playing games on my PC in my free time, unless there is a Laker game or an IndyCar Series race on; I’ll be watching that instead.
How did you hear about Visual Communications and what drew you to apply?
I came across VC through the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship Program, though I had known of the VC's existence through my sister’s internship in Little Tokyo in 2019. I applied to a lot of different organizations, but VC centered around a mission and history that I connected with personally. Their community-based, preservation work that has been done since the 1970s drew me in immediately, and aligned with my own personal value for communal histories. I’ve been able to combine my previous work as a researcher and curatorial assistant into a multidisciplinary project about Little Tokyo’s First Street, and have had creative freedom to create my own narratives based on the previous work Visual Communications has done in the community.
What are your intern duties at VC? Which part do you find interesting?
I work with a variety of people at VC, but am closely working with our Executive Director (Francis) and Operations Director (Eseel) in order to produce the upcoming debut of our project about Little Tokyo’s First Street. This has required a lot of research and learning about the various communities converging in Little Tokyo, and most of my internship has been utilizing this information to curate content about First Street’s remaining thirteen buildings through films, photographs, and oral histories. The most interesting part is being able to learn about Little Tokyo through a very intimate lens. VC’s vast amount of films about Little Tokyo has provided me education about the space that starts with individuals and their voices, allowing me to gain an understanding of the area through people themselves.
What is your favorite thing about working here? Any memorable moments?
My favorite thing about working here at VC is the people! I had the opportunity to volunteer during the first weekend of Delicious Little Tokyo, and connected with VC staff in a more informal space while eating all kinds of food (definitely my kind of outing). We had a great time, and I learned more about Little Tokyo from people who have been interacting with the space for years through a walking tour, and it was really special.
Tell us something that most people would be surprised to learn about you.
I really like to play board games. My favorite game is Settlers of Catan — who knew you could buy expansion packs for board games? Last winter, my family and I spent a whole week at our kitchen table playing it and strictly ate snack foods. Other than that, I watch a lot of anime and collect comic books. I was introduced to comic books during my first year of university when I took a class called “Comic Book Histories: Middle East” and have loved this genre of storytelling ever since. There are such a wide variety of narratives that can be told through the combination of good writing and drawings, and I think it is a really cool medium.
Who is Brandon?
I was born and raised just north of Los Angeles in Santa Clarita, California. Going into college, I knew I wanted to do something different. I didn’t want to attend the massive universities I had learned about growing up, and realized I wanted a big change in order to take me out of my comfort zone. This led me to the east coast and eventually Bucknell University in rural Pennsylvania — 2000 miles away from the place I had known my whole life.
After a UTV ride in the mountains of Southern Oregon
I credit this experience as one of the most transformative moments in my life, as my college experience has truly shaped my interests as well as the person I am today. The academic interests I gained at Bucknell are a necessary part of the work that I do. These include social movements across various times and places, such as ‘70s activism in the United States and the Arab Spring in the early 2010s, as well as critical theory about incarceration and prisons within the United States. These concepts are at the forefront of my mind whenever I engage in a new project, and continue to influence my thinking when it comes to work.
Outside of work, I de-stress and chill by spending time with others. Whether it's with my family or my friends, I am always trying to be in the company of other people. Usually time is spent consuming media or just hanging out and chatting — recent Marvel shows have bound us all together for shared viewing parties. As restaurants are returning to allow patrons, I also try to connect with friends at least a couple times a week for a meal away from our houses or workspaces. I value the ability to be able to work from my own workspace of choice, but also realize the need to sometimes step away from the space in order to refresh and reset. Meals are a great way to do this, and to try something new.
In the future, I see myself as either a higher level educator or involved in the museum world in some way. I love to tell stories, and I think there are so many stories that are erased. I want to bring to light the necessary value of seemingly benign histories like familial and interpersonal stories that are often forgotten in favor of large-scale historical events and narratives. I think both of these paths allow me to do that, and hope to fulfill this through higher education in the near future.
