Each year the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation offers interested young scholars, ages 15-22, the opportunity to intern at a Long Island history organization through the Gardiner Young Scholars Program. The Shelter Island History Museum has been a proud host of a Gardiner Young Scholar for 6 years. Each successful candidate must complete 100 hours of service at their host organization. At the end, they are required to produce a short video detailing their experience.
Here’s how our young scholars spent their summers.
Here’s how our young scholars spent their summers.
2025: Charlotte Bruner
Our 2025 Gardiner Young Scholar Intern was Charlotte Bruner, a sophomore at Stony Brook University majoring in Studio Arts.
Charlotte’s primary assignment was to reorganize the SIHM art collection and update both the digital and physical catalogs. Each piece was cross-referenced across both systems to ensure accuracy and then updated with current condition status and storage locations. Charlotte completed detailed condition assessments for over 160 pieces of artwork and determined which needed attention or repair.
After completing this extensive project, Charlotte turned her attention to preparing for our exhibit, "Ingrid McBrian: Shelter Island In Thread And Paint." The exhibit features a remarkable 9’ x 15’ rug handwoven by Ingrid McBrian, a beloved local artist known for her weaving, painting, and deep commitment to community and charity. Charlotte inventoried all of the McBrian pieces in our collection, researched her genealogy and life history, developed a preliminary floor plan, and created designs for exhibit posters and a catalog. This work ensures a smooth transition between exhibits for our small offseason team.
This is the video Charlotte produced for her Young Scholars requirement.
2026: Lily Potter
The 2026 Gardiner Young Scholar Intern was Lily Potter, a rising junior at Shelter Island High School.
At the SIHM, she was most involved in exhibit management, collections work, and youth programs, beginning by helping bring the 2026 High School Externship Exhibit to life. A group of six girls, including Lily, spent weeks researching and developing an exhibit about local women’s uniformed service. The exhibit showcases uniforms from our textile collection and stories about the “Unsung Heroes” who wore them.
Lily also helped us put the finishing touches on yet another SIHS collaboration, the 1776 3D Model, designed by a team of high schoolers to be an interactive exhibit for children and families to explore what our home looked like during the Revolutionary War.
Passionate about our clothing collection, Lily dedicated most of her summer to helping us update our catalogue of over 300 items and finding aids. She was able to fully catalogue over 40 pieces of historic clothing, completing condition assessments, photographing, cataloguing, and properly storing each garment.
Here’s the video Lily produced for her Young Scholars requirement.
At the SIHM, she was most involved in exhibit management, collections work, and youth programs, beginning by helping bring the 2026 High School Externship Exhibit to life. A group of six girls, including Lily, spent weeks researching and developing an exhibit about local women’s uniformed service. The exhibit showcases uniforms from our textile collection and stories about the “Unsung Heroes” who wore them.
Lily also helped us put the finishing touches on yet another SIHS collaboration, the 1776 3D Model, designed by a team of high schoolers to be an interactive exhibit for children and families to explore what our home looked like during the Revolutionary War.
Passionate about our clothing collection, Lily dedicated most of her summer to helping us update our catalogue of over 300 items and finding aids. She was able to fully catalogue over 40 pieces of historic clothing, completing condition assessments, photographing, cataloguing, and properly storing each garment.
Here’s the video Lily produced for her Young Scholars requirement.
