Shelby Dains, an avid learner with a passion for history, earned her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from NC State in 2021 (Go Pack!) and her M.A. in History from UNC Charlotte in 2023. She joined Sullenberger Aviation Museum (SAM) in 2022 as a Collections Intern, where she gained hands-on experience in exhibit design and curation alongside VP of Collections Katie Swaringen, Director of Aircraft Molly Kinyon, and the award-winning firm Freeman Ryan Design.
After her internship, Shelby joined SAM full time as part of the Collections Team. During the planning phase for the museum’s grand reopening, she led research for the Vertical Flight section in the Main Gallery, curating stories behind SAM’s helicopter and V/STOL aircraft.
Following the June 2024 reopening, Shelby played a key role in developing content for the new Aviation City exhibit, using archival records and first-hand accounts to uncover Charlotte’s lesser-known aviation history.
Today, Shelby is recognized as a leading expert on the history of Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), often assisting researchers exploring the Queen City’s aviation heritage. As part of her work documenting CLT’s past, she authored an article on the airport’s 1936 Historic Hangar – the very structure that now houses SAM’s Aviation City exhibit.
Her piece, “An Exhibit Gallery Within an Artifact: Charlotte’s 1936 Historic Hangar,” explores the nearly century-long evolution of CLT’s oldest building. It was published in May on the Smithsonian Magazine’s ‘Voices’ blog.
Read the full article here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-affiliations/2025/05/22/an-exhibit-gallery-within-an-artifact-charlottes-1936-historic-hangar/ – congrats, Shelby!