Museum Career Internship Program

by Kai Wong (he/him)

When I first was interviewed to be an intern for the American Folk Art Museum, I was nervous to introduce myself. First impressions and identity is a tricky situation to navigate, but what captures me best is simply my name: Kai Wong. Kai can mean multiple things depending on the culture. In Mandarin, Kai means triumph and victory, which really says a lot about my goals and the ambitions. Queens, NYC, with its vibrant streets and diverse culture, is my canvas for inspiration. The constant pulse of the neighborhood—colors, sounds, and stories—ignites my passion for creating art. Sight and touch are senses that really solidify my love for my most common mediums. Digital, acrylic paint, and highlighters are mediums that I use to feed my sight. The colors are vibrant, saturated, and intense. Soft pastels, oil pastels, graphite, charcoal, and color pencils are mediums that I enjoy because of the texture. As an extroverted person, I really enjoy drawing people and capturing the unique poses and expressions a lot of my muses have. Living in a big city you come across many different types of people with stories of their own, including myself. I really enjoy storytelling through writing, art, and tabletop games. I love creating things not with just my hands, but with my words as well. 

During my spring semester in 2024, I went on a field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian. I was extremely excited to see how they presented an underrepresented group of people. Once there, I was critical about the use of space, how the pieces were presented, and many other issues that I had with the exhibit. I asked why the pieces were presented in this manner. How can I improve this? What does an exhibition curator do? Then my professors informed me about the opportunity to be an intern for a museum for self taught artists. It was almost like a match made in heaven. The perfect opportunity to really have the answer to all of my questions and more. Being new to the art world, since I have only recently changed my major from Psychology to Design, I felt like I was wandering aimlessly. With this internship I hope to explore the different career paths as well as answer all my questions about what goes behind museums. 

There is a piece in the AFAM collection called “Long Sleep” by Christine Sefolosha. Her work of art is a telling of her experiences as both a true dreamer and her journey in South Africa. Because of high political tension there, Sefolosha spent her time in a protected environment at the age of 20. That did not stop her from drawing, especially her favorite subjects: animals. She often uses dirt and tar in her paintings which I believe is to represent the connections to nature. The double meaning of the title was the hook that grabbed me. In “Long Sleep” she used tar to depict an animal curled up in a “long sleep”. In stressful situations our dreams are often a reflection of our reality. When one feels a constant need to escape, they long to finally decide to stop and rest. I chose this piece because I first loved the calligraphy-like style it had. The splatters make it look like a top down perspective of an animal–perhaps an antelope– “resting” on grass. While researching about “Long Sleep”, I became curious if there was any particular meaning of the antelope which is a native species of South Africa. I discovered it means freedom. The meaning could be homage to the people in South Africa suffering in the political situation occurring. Learning the history of an artist and how that reflects in their work is what gets me heated about an art piece. One of the biggest reasons why I love folk art is because there’s just so much rich history waiting to be discovered. In this piece I found treasure. 

Hi there! My name is Luna (she/her) and I am a proud Mexican-American residing in beautiful Astoria, Queens NY! Along with being a New York City resident my whole life, my father helped influence my love for the arts. I learned a lot from Mexican folk art as well as basic graphics in the NYC punk and alt youth scenes. I’m currently a Fine Arts major with goals of becoming a creative director (I love concept art). Throughout my time in high school I developed a huge interest in game and character design, hence the goal of becoming creative director in areas I enjoy! I love to see the progress of concept art from big labels and single developer indie studios. Ever since then, I’ve been practicing and further improving my skills as an artist does. Interning at a museum with a bunch of folk art is great when it comes to looking for inspirations.

My interest in that specific field led me to apply for the American Folk Art Museum’s internship program! I remember reading somewhere that the key to becoming a great artist is being able to sell. When I saw how this internship would be a great step in the right direction in terms of networking and building relationships with colleagues, I just had to shoot my shot. This internship is a great way to gain confidence in my public speaking skills too. I love how it makes me feel like I’m improving in a professional way.

Besides the incredible work ethic we develop in the offices, we also get to search the collection and talk about the pieces there. The one I’d like to talk about is Photographer’s Backdrop. This type of backdrop is mainly found in Latin American countries, like Mexico, Brazil, and Guatemala. The one shown above is oil on canvas and a very beautiful example of the medium. Since this piece was created in Mexico, I was not surprised to see La Virgen Maria. She’s a staple in Mexican culture, aside from being a saint. There are many portraits and pieces of art dedicated to her since she’s such a mother figure to a lot of Mexican citizens. I love how lively this scene feels–it lets me imagine seeing this backdrop on a bustling street. The artist also included white lilies, which are most commonly gifted to La Virgen Maria on her birthday every year, which is a way to show their respect and devotion to the saint. It fits and suits the ambience it’s made for. I love seeing pieces from my country, especially pieces of La Virgen de Guadalupe, which are my favorite since they tend to be the most colorful. I’m not mega religious, but in my culture she’s as much a mother figure as a saint. From the soft and peaceful bluish white color of the flowers and the bold red and pink of the buildings, I can’t help but give my highest praise to the artist. I hope one day I can refine my skills to be as great and beautiful as this artist. 

Hello, My name is Christian Esteban Pavia (he/him), but most people call me Kris. I recently graduated as a Fine Arts Major from Laguardia Community College. I was born in Mexico City and came to the United States when I was very young. I first arrived in New York when I was 3 years old and grew up in the Bronx.

My calling to art started ever since I could remember. I admired everything life had to offer: my family who all seemed to have an interest in the arts, the TV shows which were forever playing, to the lights of the city shimmering non-stop. They were all things I couldn’t help but stare at for hours on end. I wanted to hold onto these things in any way I could. I started to try my best at capturing a copy on pieces of paper. The earliest thing I could think of drawing was a simple duck which my mother was very ecstatic about. The support and encouragement she gave me was one of the pushes that helped me to keep going, to keep creating. From then on my confidence grew on the things I could create and things that caught my eye that I would try and capture on paper. I look forward to learning much more from this internship at the American Folk Art Museum. I have already been wonderfully greeted by the amount of work in the Museum’s collection and am amazed at how much goes on behind the scenes of a facility like this. 

My interest in this piece lies in its name and its medium. “Long Sleep” is made of tar  and pencil on paper. It reminds me of some of the pieces I made when I was studying the use of ink. I’d never thought of using pure tar for a piece, but I am more than happy to say another form of media takes place in my brain now. What I gather from the piece is a depiction of a creature lying down and resting. The spots of ink around it remind me of embers and ash floating around the aftermath of a fire. The creature isn’t one I’ve seen in this world, and yet it feels very familiar. As a college student and young adult I am familiar with feeling as if you’ve burned up, wanting to curl up and rest from exhaustion. The warm background adds to this sense of tranquility and rest while also giving the piece and the viewer space. I’m sure most people can relate to this feeling, finding your space to rest and recover is a very important part of being alive, not letting your fire extinguish. Pieces such as this have always called out to me, as they lead the viewer to create a narrative which might align with what the artist had in mind or something completely new. It’s one of the reasons I like to wander the city so often–the amount of art all over the city is outstanding!

Hello! My name is Jhazmin Tiesling (she/her), and I am currently a Fine Arts major at Laguardia Community College. I was born in San Antonio, Texas, though I’ve been given the opportunity of traveling across the states due to being part of a military family. As the oldest of two younger siblings, I’d quickly become the main caretaker of the family while my dad was mostly deployed and mom working two jobs. As I got a little older, I found my way into the performing arts world. Searching for an escape, I spent most of my time training in dance studios after school and on weekends, giving me something to put my full focus into. I eventually went on to a performing arts high school and was performing for quite some time after graduating in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unfortunately, due to the high demands and competitiveness of what it takes to be a professional performer, I eventually quit the dance world as it had dulled my passion as well as my confidence. After a long reflection, I’ve decided to switch gears and focus more on creating art in a different way. I’ve always had a passion for fine arts though it was something that was pushed into the background due to my busy schedule.

Art for me means a great many things, but it is particularly a way of life. Naturally being a reserved and highly sensitive person, what both dance and fine arts provide is the freedom to express my emotions and feelings without the pressure of public speaking. I enjoy working with all types of mediums, though I feel I can really let my creativity flow through sculpture making and ceramics. Going back to school was the best decision for me, as it provides me the motivation to keep creating as well as gaining inspiration along the way. I chose to join this internship primarily for that reason–to stay inspired and to find a sense of belonging within the art community. Throughout my journey, I’ve learned to accept things as they are but I am grateful that art has the capability to expand far beyond reality. 

While browsing through the American Folk Art Museum Collection, the artwork titled, “On a Thread” by Christine Sefolosha (b. 1955) stood out to me. I found this piece interesting because of all the different characters that are created here. It feels dreamlike, mixed with some mysticism. I am amazed by the details as I notice something new each time I analyze it. The trees in the background remind me of willow trees with the long vines making their way through the piece. The color palette makes it feel a bit eerie in a way but enticing at the same time. The main thing that stood out to me were all of the eyes. There are many different types of characters here, though most of their eyes seem to be looking straight forward, drawing the viewer in to look closer. At first, I assumed this was a painting but it is actually ink on rice paper. Christine Sefolosha is from Switzerland but has had the opportunity to travel the world. Similarly to myself, she uses inspiration gained from her travels of various cultures, performing arts, music, as well as her own emotional depths to create her artworks. While looking through her collection, I found her other works to be just as captivating. 

Howdy! My name is Mukhlisa Nigmatillaeva, and I go by she/her pronouns. I was born in Toshkent, Uzbekistan and my parents brought me to Brooklyn, New York a month before I turned 5. I’ve been here ever since! My art mediums are usually pencil, paint and watercolor, but I am beginning to explore sculpture. I first became interested in the world of art in 6th grade. It was mainly for fun, but ever since then I’ve always incorporated art into my day to day life somehow. Making art is always stimulating, yet also calming for me. It’s like meditating in a way. Physically, I stay focused on what’s in front of me, while in my mind I can dissect and analyze all my thoughts. The process of art making is like a playground where I get to make mistakes and learn from them, spark new ideas out of old ones, and create something out of nothing. It never gets boring when I sit down and focus on the paper in front of me. There’s a sense of hope that I always receive from art. This is why I’ve decided to pursue a career in art, a field where I feel calm yet also excited for what my next piece may bring!

I was drawn to the American Folk Art Museum internship because of the cultural narratives that folk art embodies. I was not familiar with folk art prior to being introduced to this museum, but once I started researching I gained a new perspective on American art. Also, this opportunity aligns with my passion for preserving and promoting traditional crafts and storytelling. I’m eager to engage with new artistic practices, learn from experienced curators, and contribute to a community that celebrates the voices and histories of various cultures. This internship gives me the opportunity to blend my academic interests with hands-on experience, supporting the museum’s mission of fostering a greater understanding of folk art. And last but not least, this opportunity will help me better understand and explore the different paths in the museum industry that I want to pursue. 

This piece from the American Folk Art Museum stood out to me because of how out of the ordinary it seems. There isn’t a cohesive story that can be followed from this piece, instead it’s all over the place. The desaturated colors drew me in, contributing a grim vibe. The imagery and symbolism used in the artwork evoke feelings of longing, conflict, and resolution, inviting viewers to contemplate their own connections to these themes. The piece’s title, “Between Two Worlds” also says a lot. It explores ideas of transition, duality, and reflects the experience of individuals caught between different realms. This duality can symbolize personal journeys, migration, or the complexities of navigating multiple identities. Overall, the piece serves as a powerful commentary on the various coexisting natures of human experience and the intersections of different worlds.

Hi! My name is Janet Bernal Peralta (she/her). I was born and raised in New York City, recently graduated from LaGuardia Community College, and am currently studying fine arts at Queens College with the goal of earning my bachelor’s degree. The arts have played an integral part in my life since I was a kid, from dancing to learning how to play various musical instruments. However, drawing has always been a consistent outlet for self-expression. Some of my hobbies include baking, crocheting, running, and embroidery. My Mexican cultural heritage and my neighborhood have greatly impacted my art, as it is where most of the inspiration for my artwork comes from. Currently, my goal is to become a professional curator. However, I am also open to other museum careers, and through this internship, I hope to gain greater clarity of what specific role would be best for me. Through this internship, I hope to gain more experience and insight in the art world.

Wash Day by Clementine Hunter is an artwork that stood out to me from the American Folk Art Museum’s collection. The use of bright colors adds a warm and inviting atmosphere. The pastel yellow as the main color for the background amplifies this mood. The figures’ blank expressions and simplicity of the shapes complement this depiction of everyday life. Furthermore, the people’s rounded forms convey affection for the subjects. I can relate to this piece of art since I get inspiration for my own work from my environment and everyday life. It brings back memories of rural life in Mexico: washing and hanging clothing by hand.

by Fae Smith, Curatorial Intern

Exploring the American Folk Art Museum’s collection of quilts is a fascinating journey into the heart of American craftsmanship and quilt storytelling. As an intern, I had the unique opportunity to delve deep into the museum’s extensive collection of quilts as part of a collection evaluation project. I joined Curatorial Chair for Collections and Curator of Folk Art, Emelie Gevalt, Art Bridges Fellow Austin Losada, and quilt expert, past AFAM curator, and President of the Board of Trustees Liz Warren, in starting this ongoing project of going through every single quilt in the museum’s collection. For context, the museum has over 600 quilts on their collections page, not including newly added quilts, and quilts that do not yet have photos on the website.

When we all gather into the collections room, we know that it’s go time. Like an assembly line, we take a few boxes from a shelf and go through each quilt, carefully unfolding it onto the table set out. Emelie takes notes on each quilt, while we all examine and analyze the quality of the quilts.  My job is taking photos of each detail and marking, as well as condition issues for some quilts like stains, tears, or missing thread. Going through each quilt is an exciting journey, and provokes a range of emotions for all of us. We stare in awe at beautifully textured and colorful coverlets from the early 20th century, and while there are pangs of sadness from quilts with condition issues, we all recognize the beauty of the quilts they once were. We take notes and photos of each and every detail; at this point I have most likely taken over 200 photos of quilts.

The job doesn’t just end there, each photo has to be placed into its own folder and titled with its accession number. The process can take hours, depending on how many quilts our team went through the previous day. Thankfully, because there are hundreds of quilts, there is less time pressure on organizing the quilts into the digital files. We estimate this process will take the whole year–we started in January, and so far, there is no end in sight!

Many may be asking, what’s the point of this? We bring out these quilts to update our knowledge about the collection. When not on view, they are safely tucked away in storage boxes. Taking these quilts out is looking back at a part of history. Many times, there are mysteries to be uncovered in the quilts; we ask ourselves questions about hard-to-read dates and initials woven into the fabric, we analyze the patterns to discover the dates of the quilts, and sometimes our files need updating. For example, our file on one quilt will say it’s from the early 20th century, but when examined, the age of the fabrics suggests it was more likely stitched in the late 19th century.

Uncovering these mysteries is deeply satisfying, and through the work involved in organizing and cataloging hundreds of quilts, I have gained a deep appreciation for the craftsmanship and storytelling that quilts hold within their threads.

Hi! My name is Marina (she/they) and I’m currently a Fine Arts major at LaGuardia Community College. I was born in Queens, New York  but I moved overseas to Croatia for a large chunk of my childhood. Arts have been a huge part of my life ever since I was young. It was a form of expression to me and I always found myself wanting to do something in the art field. Making art is something that I do for myself. I find so much joy in creating and drawing things and watching them come to life. I really love character design, and comics are a media form that allow me to both see a variety of artworks but also to see many different character designs.

I think museums are a wonderful place to find many more artists and artworks and learn what drives them to create their own art. This internship is a wonderful opportunity to help me learn and expand my knowledge about many unknown artists, and it’s also an amazing opportunity that will allow me to see many different jobs that concern art fields. I was always extremely interested in how the behind the scenes of a museum might work, and this internship will allow me to learn more about that.

While looking through the AFAM collection, an artwork that stood out to me is an untitled painting done by Eugene Von Bruenchenhein. While I’m not sure if this artwork was untitled on purpose, the painting’s lack of a title allowed for me to get a completely fresh perspective on the artwork. If this painting had a title, I feel like I would interpret it in a way that would align with the title. When I first glanced at this artwork, I was really drawn to the colors that were used. Even though technically most of the painting is blank space, the red that takes up a lot of the canvas isn’t just one solid red, you can see a multitude of red shades. The color itself is really streaky and you can almost see the color dripping down the canvas. These downward drips slowly drag my eyes to the creatures on the bottom of the painting. These creatures are another reason why I was drawn to this artwork. This painting looks like it’s depicting shrimp or crawfish of some sort. They seem to be sitting atop a coral, or seaweed or seagrass, and the way that the creatures are looking upwards makes it seem as if they’re attempting to swim up to escape to the surface. 

Hi, My name is Leah Kasinda Bobbett. I am a proud Puerto Rican African American and New Yorker. I was born and raised in Brooklyn. My hobbies consist of painting, art, relaxing, and fashion. I am currently a student at LaGuardia and will be furthering my education with a 4-year degree to earn my Bachelor’s and possibly a Master’s. My goals are to graduate from my studies, become a graphic designer, and work around the world. What I like about interning at the AFAM is seeing how the museum operates. Before, I thought museums just picked some artwork and put it out for people to see. Now I know it takes more than just a painting for a museum to stay up and running. As an intern, I want to learn how to navigate this new environment and put my developing skills to use.

This advertising checkerboard from the museum’s collection captured my attention because of its vintage, rustic feel and the various logos surrounding the shiny checkerboard game in the middle. When I looked at the piece, I wondered if it was hung on a wall in a shop or if there were multiple checkerboards made that sat at the end of every table in a diner. I also like how the fonts of each advertisement make each brand distinct and different from each other. The color choices the artist used ties it all together, giving each side its own identity without overpowering the others. The work also used a reversed foil technique on the checkerboard which involved placing foil behind glass to create a shiny effect.

Hello! My name is Josseline Cruz Garcia (she/her). I was born in Jamaica, Queens, moved to New Jersey, moved to Guatemala, then moved to Brooklyn where I have lived for the majority of my life.

With a strict upbringing I was taught that children should be seen and not heard, so I had to learn to entertain myself with activities that were quiet, and art was the quietest thing I could do. Heavily inspired by Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon, I would spend entire days drawing, writing stories, and creating fantasy worlds of other girls making meaningful friendships, falling in love with one another, and saving the world with empathy and kindness. 

As someone who has always been ostracized or bullied for aspects of my identity that are out of my control, such as gender, sexuality, race, and mental health, I learned to find comfort in art. Drawing and writing allowed me to express myself freely without any judgment and hide away from the harsh realities that I was dealing with at the time. I want to publish comics and games for free, because I feel that art and stories that positively represent marginalized groups can be difficult to come across and I think everyone should have an opportunity to see themselves reflected.

Through this internship I hope to learn how to better connect with other artists, both contemporary and historical, learn better communication skills and discover different job opportunities in the art field. I have bounced around different career ideas such as becoming an art therapist, an art teacher, or even a chef, but never have I considered looking for opportunities within art museums, so when I learned about this I was super excited to try it out, and even more excited when I was accepted!

The piece in the museum’s collection that really resonates with me is 145 At Jennie Richee. Hard pressed and harassed by the storm by Henry Darger. As someone who has also struggled with mental health I feel that I understand some of what is being depicted. The girls with varying genitalia strike my interest because I understand it as an idea of innocence, like how Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, unaware of ideas such as sex or nudity. You can clearly see the areas where the work has perhaps been traced, or copied, and it’s fascinating to see images being repurposed to tell Darger’s own story and to create larger than life pieces. Darger used whatever means he had at his disposal to bring his ideas to life, which is inspiring and beautiful.

Reading up on Hanry Darger’s life and seeing more of his work, I learned more about his circumstances and how his art came to be. It’s something I can relate to and understand, and the themes of some of his pieces are something I have often found myself depicting in my own personal work. We are trying to make sense of life in the only way we know how.