GET TO KNOW US

Back again for another staff spotlight newsletter where we catch up with our Director and Program Assistant, Nicole Passerotti and Jasmine Keegan.
Read below for a chance to know us a little better and get a glimpse of what we get up to when not knee deep in program planning.

And if you haven’t had a chance to hear about what Bianca and Lisa have been up to, make sure to check in here.

NICOLE

~ Director ~

Nicole presenting about the Mellon Opp program at the annual 2025 Spring Reception. Photo credit: UCLA/Getty Conservation Dept.

Hello from LA! Although my update is happily peppered with shoutouts to so many wonderful Mellon Opportunity alumni and board members, I’m excited to share some of the things that I get up to and projects and organizations that I care about when I’m not managing the day-to-day of the Mellon Opportunity program as the current Director. Since I started at UCLA in 2020, I’ve worked to build and foster relationships that align with the mission, values, and vision of the program. I’m so happy for the chance to share some of the projects and people that I love to work with!

In April I had the great pleasure of helping plan a visit to the Seneca Iroquois National Museum / Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center in Salamanca, NY. As a proud member of the Seneca Nation, Bear Clan this is a collection I’ve grown up with and worked with as a volunteer, conservation graduate student, and consultant. As a Buffalo alum, I was happy to co-organize a day of presentations, eating, and tours with Buffalo Professor Emily Hamilton and graduate student Evelynn Bird.

L-R: Nicole giving a presentation Working with Native American Collections and Communities and Buffalo State Art Conservation graduate students and volunteers. Photo Credit: Evelynn Bird

I led an activity where we made over 40 custom blueboard trays for the basketry collection. It was a joy to be working side-by-side so many people – many of whom had never made a tray or box before. At times it was sweaty and hectic, but I think everyone went home feeling a collective satisfaction. Big thanks to the museum staff: Johnna (Jonie) Crouse, Alan Dowdy, and Joey Issac; also Penny Minner, Jare Cardinal, Dennis Bowen, Nathan Abrams (Workshop ‘24), and the Buffalo Art Conservation students including Cindy Moreno (‘19), Olivia Thanadabout (‘22) and Evelynn Bird for a fun and productive day!

Top L-R: Nicole explaining the tray making formula, Evelynn and Jonie tracking baskets with their new trays, Seneca Basket Weaver Penny Minner sharing her work; Bottom L-R: Seneca Elder Dennis Bowen glueing, students measuring, and Cindy Moreno measuring to make the blue board trays. Photo credit: Evelynn Bird

Fiona Dunlap (Workshop ‘24) wrote an article about the Community and Conservation class that I co-taught with Anya Dani (Board Member). Partnering with La Historia in El Monte, CA and conservator Ronel Namde (Board Member) the class culminated with a multi-day community conservation clinic planned and carried out by UCLA/Getty graduate students including Fernanda Baxter (‘22). Tu Historia: Caring for Family Treasure was enthusiastically attended and the students offered practical advice for caring for personal treasures like a cherished wedding dress, photos albums, and jewelry. A big shoutout to everyone who made these clinics a success!

Photo credit: La Historia Instagram

I’m also thrilled to teach with Southern California organizations that are invested in collections care access and training. I’ve taught a wide-range of topics from labeling to dealing with mold and pesticide residues on collections. In May, I joined Your Neighborhood Museum (YNM)  co-directed by Lylliam Posadas (Board Member) and Jen Kim (Workshop Instructor) to teach at a NAGPRA training in Missoula, MT. In addition I’ve taught at YNM’s yearly C.A.R.E. workshops over the last few years and enjoy working with their lovely team including Diana Terrazas and  Makayla Rawlins (Workshop ‘21). These workshops and trainings are designed to meet the needs and interests of the community members we work with and are developed through ongoing discussions, which I truly appreciate and support.

The other organization that I’m glad to join forces with is the Balboa Arts Conservation Center (BACC) CIPP team including Elizabeth Salmon, Kendra Story, and Mellon Opp Associate Director Bianca García to teach multi-day workshops focused on collections care skills for small to mid-size museums. Their dedication to these training opportunities is inspiring and I’m always happy to be part of the team.

Top: Top row: Nicole giving a presentation Caring for Collections with Mold; Jen Kim and Nicole teaching about heavy metal testing. Bottom row: 2024 C.A.R.E. workshop: Nicole teaching about feathers, Makayla teaching; workshop participants and instructors. Photo credits: YNM
Bottom: Top Left: Bianca and Nicole simultaneously teaching during BACC CIPP workshop in Riverside, CA. Bottom L-R: Bianca and Nicole selfie at the Santa Barbara workshop; Nicole doing a condition report activity. R: Workshop group at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside, CA. Photo credits: BACC

In the aftermath of the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires I was heartened to be invited to join Art Recovery Los Angeles (ARLA), a collective focused on serving the local communities after the disaster. As a LA transplant I was honored to work side-by-side with so many native Los Angelenos to organize and connect. ARLA’s founding members worked closely with Laleña Vellanoweth (who co-wrote the initial Mellon Opp grant and served as the first Program Manager) at the Civic Art Division of LA County Dept. of Arts and Culture to organize 4 large-scale conservation clinics with CALA volunteers to serve hundreds of people impacted by the fires. It was a remarkable feat of collaboration between government, private practices, museums, and art organizations. Today, ARLA continues to host smaller community clinics and recently received a Getty Foundation grant to continue helping communities rescue and conserve their cultural collections and heirlooms.

Shoutout to all the participating Mellon Opp Alumni: Ariana Barela (‘25), Carolina Benitez Squires (‘21), Berel Burrowes (‘23), Lillian Liu (’25), Natalie Mendez (‘22), Cindy Moreno (‘19), Victoria Vargas (‘25), and Board Members: Ronel Namde and Tamia Anaya.  Apologies to anyone I inadvertently missed.

L-R, top-bottom: Nicole consulting at the MOCA clinic, Laleña Vellanoweth signing in a participant at the Getty Center clinic, Clinic volunteers at the MOCA, Getty Center, and Altadena library clinics, Carolina Benitez Squires and Ronel Namde at the Altadena clinic. Photo credit: andresvazquez.la

I’ve also been excited to volunteer with conservation projects that prioritize working with local artists, communities, and aspiring conservators. Two recent projects I appreciated working with for the chance to work with my hands, get some fresh air, and to learn more about Los Angeles history are the Blessing of the Animals mural by Leo Politi (1978)  and the Whittier Narrows Park Fantastical Dominguez Sculptures by Benjamin Dominguez. Both projects were supported by the LA County Dept. of Arts & Culture and overseen by conservator Kiernan Graves. Kiernan is a dedicated and passionate advocate for creating opportunities that align with the mission of the Mellon Opportunity and many of our alumni including Joelle Yang (Workshop ‘24) and Carolina Benitez Squires (‘21) have been fortunate to work on projects with her at  Site & Studio.

Top: Top, L-R: Courtyard looking toward the mural location at Olvera Street, Blessing of the Animals mural detail, Kiernan Graves interview by El Pueblo. Bottom L-R: Joelle Yang inpainting, Nicole inpainting, and Leo Politi signature near two cute dogs wearing ribbons   Photo credits: El Pueblo LA Instagram and Passerotti
Bottom: Top, L-R: Conservation apprentices Bianca Ramirez, Lucha Zamoraa, Jenny Payan, and Allison Segura consolidating Starfish; Site & Studio Conservation Apprentices, Kiernan Graves, and Nicole Passerotti at Fish. Bottom, L-R: Tripod consolidation; Bianca R. and Allison consolidating Two-Headed Dragon. Right: Nicole, Bianca R., and Allison consolidating Octopus. Photo credits: Passerotti and Brandon Phuong

Over the years it’s been a privilege to work alongside our 110 alumni, 74 workshop instructors, and board members. I want to thank them for all of their valuable contributions to the program! If you recently took or shared our state of the field survey, thank you! We had over 500 participants and we look forward to sharing the results with you in the coming months.

I also want to give a final shoutout to the current team  Bianca, Lisa, and Jasmine for their candor, humor, and thoughtful contributions (across many timezones!) to support our incredible interns and alumni! 

Please stay tuned for more alumni updates and future programming plans! 

Lylliam Posadas (Board member) and Nicole at the May 2026 LACMA Opening Reception before and after noticing the paparazzi✌️✌️ Photo credit: Paparazzi

JASMINE

~ Program Assistant ~

Selfie in the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History

Hello from New Jersey! I’m the Program Assistant aka the one who creates and sends out the newsletters that grace your feed. I joined the Mellon Opp staff about a year and a half ago now and I myself am an alumni of this very program(wooo cohort of ‘21!) and am so ecstatic to now be able to contribute to it.

When I’m not working on Mellon Opp related projects, I am at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC where I am a part of a team that is rehousing the museum’s collection of elephant skulls. I started here in January of 2025 and have been helping to document, clean, stabilize, scan and rehouse about 80 elephant skulls before they are on the move to a climate controlled storage space.

I’ve actually just had my last day. It was a bittersweet send off. I finished up the projects I had in progress, wiped my work laptop and locked my workspace door for the last time. I definitely bawled my eyes out(as those in touch with their emotions do), but it reminds me of just how special my time there has been.

Group photo at my send off lunch with the greatest coworkers in existence (Yes those are 3D printed mounted elephant skulls you are seeing) Pictured left to right: Julia Sybalsky, Jasmine Keegan, Riley Tavares, Devon Lee. Photo Credit: Michaela Paulson

In my free time I love a good arts and crafts project which I’m sure many of you can relate to. My current hobby is stained glass. I took a class at the beginning of last year and had my first market just a couple weekends ago. My hometown has an annual summer festival called Maplewoodstock where they bring together art and food vendors as well as live music for a weekend. I grew up attending this event and was so excited to be a part of it this year. Can’t wait to create some more!

My Maplewoodstock booth, selling stained glass with my bestie Imani (pictured in the center image). Photo credit: Imani Cook-Gist

I am currently in the process of organizing my life to move to Buffalo since I will be attending the conservation program this fall. So definitely spending some quality time with friends and my animal family before I head out. But super excited and can’t wait to see what the next couple years bring.