by Aaliyah Kee
After the first half of this internship, during which we came together as a group twice a week to learn about the American Folk Art Museum’s collection, it was time for us interns to begin actually working in our respective departments. It would be the first time that we wouldn’t all be together, and that was pretty nerve-wracking. When all the interns were together for each session, I didn’t feel as much pressure when I made mistakes because everyone there was learning too. Working with a staff member by myself made me nervous.
Then, I began to work with Social Media Manager Sam Morgan and Director of Communications and Marketing Chris Gorman in the communications department, and I realized that I had nothing to be nervous about. When I don’t understand something, they teach me and help me fix my mistakes. It’s only been a few weeks, but I feel like I have learned so much about how the museum promotes itself and how much work goes into creating content for a continuously growing community.
I actually feel like I am helping out when I am asked to do a task, and I am not afraid to ask questions because I know that Sam and or Chris will patiently answer them. Not only am I shown how the department works, but I am also encouraged to come up with new ideas and really be a part of the department. I’m encouraged to give my input and I feel like I am a full-on staff member, like everyone wants me here. So, in the end, I was worried for nothing, and now that I am not so nervous I am having a lot of fun.
For example, last week my fellow interns and I got to take a closer look at the Signature Styles: Friendship, Album and Fundraising Quilts exhibition hosted by curator of folk art Emelie Gevalt. Afterward, I had the great opportunity to create my first Instagram story. I used a special website called canva to design an appealing Instagram story that communicated how cool it was for us interns to get a closer look at the exhibit. I used photos and text to promote the great things that happen in this internship program, and I also got to promote the exhibition as well. It was a win-win situation. This experience also shed some light on how I can use what I am learning to properly promote myself as an artist. I learned that a lot of thought goes into promoting oneself. I can’t wait for what I’m going to learn next.
Check out Aaliyah’s Instagram story below:
Museum Career Internship Program 