ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

BCMA Internship Term

Academic Year 2021–2022 BCMA Education Assistant

What key projects did you work on during your internship?

During my internship as an education assistant, I was mainly responsible for assisting with the museum’s Student Ambassadors program. The program started from the idea that the BCMA should be better integrated into the campus as a welcoming communal space. Along with other interns and the museum staff, we decided to hire a small cohort of student ambassadors who advance our goal through events, social media, and collaborations with different student groups. I was responsible for preparation work such as hosting info sessions and reviewing submitted applications. In the following semester, we welcomed the cohort and I served as the leader of one ambassador group. At our weekly meetings, we brainstormed event ideas and divided roles based on the students’ interests. Together, we successfully launched the program and I’m super excited to see it grow over the coming years.

How did your Art History courses help to prepare you for your internship?  

The idea to create an ambassador program really came from my Art History classes. I remember discussions in class where we talked about the role of institutions in the art world. That was where students often expressed opinions about the BCMA that it might be intimidating and not as engaging as they would like. As an art history student, these discussions motivated me to become an education assistant. My internship also provided an invaluable hands-on experience that showed how museum initiatives could further engage the audience and deliver certain messages. 

Also, as an education assistant, I was responsible to film videos for virtual family Saturdays. It would usually be me talking about one exhibition that is currently on view. The visual analysis skills and creativity I developed in my art history classes greatly helped me write the script. I remember writing the script for Jona Frank: Model Home and debating how to best deliver the unique immersive experience through words. I was particularly mindful of the experiential nature of the installation and picked specific works to highlight accordingly. I was also responsible for creating a small craft activity related to the theme for people to follow.

After the completion of your internship, how did your BCMA internship inform your Art History studies?   

My BCMA internship served as a vantage point for me to understand the multifaceted responsibilities of art and museums in a community. My work as an education assistant also bridged my academic learning and the real world. It allowed me to understand the challenges faced by the museum as well as the means it has to advocate for art. Also, as we sought to engage the student audience at the BCMA, I became increasingly aware of the role of the audience in interpreting art. A lot of times, the discussions of art pieces in class revolve around the creation process and the art world’s reception. My internship showed me what happens after a piece is displayed at a museum and prompted me to think about the role of art in the broader society.

BCMA Internship Term

Academic Year 2021–2022 BCMA Education Assistant

What key projects did you work on during your internship?  

During my time at the BCMA I worked on a wide variety of projects that included organizing and leading museum tours, writing wall labels for works in faculty offices, and helping to develop the Student Ambassadors program. I think it’s not an oversimplification to say that the responsibilities in these projects could be categorized into two groups. One focusing on research and another on organization. Developing tours and writing wall labels were more centered on research and allowed me to learn more about the museum's collection while also helping me understand and contextualize works of art that I typically would not have been drawn to.  For example, I was tasked with writing a wall label for a work by Lois Dodd titled Path thru the Field.  While originally I was overwhelmed and unsure as to how to approach the painting, through research and discussions with staff at the BCMA I developed an appreciation for Dodd’s work that stays with me to this day. On the other hand, projects like organizing interest meetings for the student ambassadors' program fall under can be seen as organizational responsibilities that have given me experience in managing people and setting up events. 

How did your Art History courses prepare you for your internship?  

The art history department and the courses they offer provide an excellent tool set for working at the BCMA. At a fundamental level the skill of leveraging both historical context and visual analysis to develop an argument based in a work of art made it easier to approach and begin researching works of art that I had not seen before. This was helpful in all aspects of the internship. Additionally, ideas typically discussed in art history courses surrounding multiple art historical narratives and their implications made me aware of the impact and importance of how we tell stories in museums and cultural institutions.  

After the completion of your internship, how did your BCMA internship inform your Art History studies?  

After completing my internship at the BCMA I became much better at approaching works of art that I had never seen before and using skills like visual analysis and historical context to then place them within an art historical narrative. Interning at the BCMA also reinforced skills in art historical research that are crucial in all art history courses. 

However, as an education intern at the BCMA part of my goal was to make art historical content accessible for people with varying ranges of art historical backgrounds.  To do this I often had to break down complex topics into easier and more digestible chunks. This became useful in Art history courses and beyond as it allowed me to be clear in my communication of ideas. 

BCMA Internship Term