WFU begins academic partnership with Old Salem and the MESDA Summer Institute

Wake Forest University is proud to announce a new academic initiative that brings together experiential learning, interdisciplinary scholarship, and community partnership: the four-week nationally recognized Summer Institute at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) at Old Salem Museums and Gardens. The Summer Institute, now in its forty-ninth year, is a rigorous program that has helped shape the study of Southern material culture. Through this new partnership, Wake Forest and MESDA will immerse students in the rich history and culture of Southern decorative arts through hands-on learning, field research, and individualized mentorship.

MESDA Summer Institute accepts a limited number of students each year, ensuring an intimate and focused academic experience. Offered through the Wake Forest Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’s Liberal Arts Studies and open to graduate students from Wake Forest and beyond, the program will award academic credits to those who complete it successfully. The program combines classroom instruction, object study, and field research, all centered on the decorative arts and cultural history of the early American South.

“This program reflects the very best of Wake Forest: our commitment to academic excellence, lifelong learning, and impactful community partnerships,” said Provost Michele Gillespie. “This partnership with MESDA epitomizes our university’s strategic framework, bringing together communities of inquiry, learning, and partnership,” Gillespie added. “It positions Wake Forest as a leader in innovative and experiential education, where history comes alive for the benefit of students and society alike.”

A hallmark of the program is the involvement of a Wake Forest faculty member selected annually to serve as the “MESDA/WFU Scholar-in-Residence.” This mentor will provide academic oversight of the program and guide participants through their research projects, offering one-on-one advising and personalized feedback during the program. The MESDA/WFU Scholar-in-Residence will help students develop their scholarly ideas and connect their research to broader historical contexts.

“This initiative provides a truly exceptional opportunity for our students to explore the intersection of history, material culture, and decorative arts. Besides, I am excited about the involvement of History faculty who will lend their expertise to the program,” said Department Chair and Associate Professor of History Rais Rahman. “The collaborative program between Wake Forest and MESDA is natural and unique, at once regional and national, and aligns very well with Wake Forest University’s mission of the pursuit of excellence in the liberal arts and in graduate and professional education.”

The MESDA Summer Institute will take place in the historic district of Old Salem in Winston-Salem, home to one of the country’s most significant collections of early Southern decorative arts. Participants will explore MESDA’s collections, work closely with leading scholars, and gain a deeper appreciation of how art and material culture reflect the social, economic, and political narratives of the early American South.

“Since 1976, MESDA has proudly held the Summer Institute, training generations of scholars, curators, and craftspeople,” said Lea Lane, curator at MESDA and director of the Summer Institute. “We are thrilled to begin this partnership with Wake Forest University in 2025. By bringing together our respective strengths, the program will empower students to think innovatively about the history and material world of the early American South. Especially exciting are the ways the Scholar in Residence from the Wake Forest faculty will enhance each student’s professional and scholarly growth.”

Applications are being accepted now and are due by March 1. For more information, visit the MESDA website.