Alum Spotlight: Kayleen Roberts

Shangri La poolside view

Since spring of 2013 Kayleen Roberts received her BA in art history, gave birth to a son, and began an internship at Shangri La in preparation for applying to a graduate art conservation program.   Shangri La: Center for Islamic Arts and Cultures is a product of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.  Built in 1936-1938 Doris Duke worked closely with contractors and decorators to design and construct a gorgeous home overlooking the Pacific near Diamond Head.  Duke spent 60 years collecting various Islamic art.  When she passed away in 1993 she left multiple properties behind.  In 1998 the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art was established to help preserve, educate, and share Islamic culture with the local community, which included opening Doris Duke's home, Shangri La, to the public.

Conservation interns Kat Harada and Kayleen Roberts.
Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Honolulu, Hawai’i, 2013

In her time interning at Shangri La, Roberts has been busy with multiple tasks, however her tedious work restoring a wooden mirror within the Syria room has been exceptionally demanding.  Roberts recently wrote a post detailing the intricate restoration process which was featured on the Shangri La blog.  Click here to read her post describing the process to restore an ancient Islamic artifact.