As an institution focused on teaching and learning, The Block relies on digital platforms to provide visitors with access to its rich collection of artworks and their accompanying educational resources. Theo Maurino (Computer Science and Philosophy, ’26), The Block’s Curatorial Research Aide, provides vital support in the upkeep of digital resources and initiatives, including The Block’s alt-text project, an in-process undertaking of adding descriptive texts to each work in the collection for accessibility. We sat down with Theo to learn more about his work and how learning with The Block shapes his Northwestern Direction.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and your field of study? 

I’m a second-year student from Western Massachusetts. I’m double majoring in computer science and philosophy. I’ve enjoyed both for quite a while, and my main focus is in software development and computer security. On campus, I’m a DJ on the WNUR radio station, and I spend most of my free time undergoing some form of media consumption (usually a book or some music) or spending time with my friends.  

How did you find your way to The Block?   

Honestly, I ended up at The Block after a drawn-out search for an on-campus work-study job in the middle of the year when there weren’t many offerings. I got really lucky with a job at The Block, and ended up loving the environment, the other people who worked there, the schedule, and the work I got to do. For me, it was all just serendipity.  

Can you outline the scope of your work at The Block?  

For the past year, I’ve spearheaded the retroactive development of alt texts (100 character descriptions of each of our art pieces) for The Block’s sizable collection, as well as implementing them in our digital collection. I also play a role in formatting and filing projects, including the formatting of transcripts for interviews which are held with artists whose works we own.  

What is the impact of your work at the museum? Has it helped you gain experience in areas you’re interested in pursuing?  

I’ve gotten the chance to write more than 1,000 alt texts for pieces at the museum, which has let me get pretty intimately acquainted with some specific pieces and artists. Now, when I come to the museum as a visitor, I see pieces in person which I remember writing the alt text for or whose artist I know the work of quite well now, and that’s a cool feeling. I don’t put my computer science or philosophy knowledge to work at The Block very often, though my supervisor and I often discuss ties that might exist between these branches of work, but I really enjoy spreading out and developing disparate interests. 

What has your experience been like working so extensively with The Block’s collection?  

I’ve gained a vocabulary and an ability to recognize aspects of art that previously were unknown to me. I’ve also gotten the chance to learn about Chicago artists and the opportunity to become familiar with specific artists’ works in great detail and quantity. This experience allows me to understand style, period, and individual artists more fully, which is something I had never even known I was interested in! 

How do your studies translate into or impact your work with The Block? And conversely, has your work on the alt text project affected your studies or goals? 

Working at The Block is a constant reminder to me that I enjoy learning and living in spaces that are completely unconnected to my primary fields. I’ve also endeavored to connect the two, of course. My supervisor, Melanie Garcia Sympson, and I often discuss things like AI art (gross), the development of systems that might be able to automate the alt text process, the philosophical backgrounds of artists and pieces, or any of many other topics that bridge these gaps. I’m lucky that The Block and its members are more than willing to explore the possible connections with me.  

What are your favorite things about working in an art museum? Has it differed from your expectations?  

I’ve always liked fine art as much as the next person, but I’ve never really been someone who goes out of my way to appreciate it. Since starting at The Block, I’ve researched, witnessed, and appreciated thousands of different pieces, and being paid to be in that position is a really cool experience. Every once in a while, a piece, artist, or exhibition will stand out to me in a major way, leaving me thinking about it for days or weeks to come, and these are usually the most rewarding aspects of work at The Block. I remember a few months ago, spending a long time in the gallery viewing Rosalie Favell’s “Indigenous Artists Facing the Camera”, and feeling very grateful that I got to experience such cool and interesting work as my job. 

Has working your way through The Block’s collection for the alt text project led you to any exciting work or changed your perception of the museum? 

The alt-text work has changed my perception of the museum, offered me exposure and interest in artists and pieces I never would have seen, and given me a vocabulary and knowledge of art I would otherwise never have explored. Interestingly, it has also taught me which artists or styles I do not like, and I think it’s interesting that, even though it’s frustrating whenever I write alt texts about art from an artist I’m not loving, those pieces give me just as much to think about as the pieces I get really positively invested in.