Amy R.'s Museum Internships

This summer I have had the amazing opportunity to intern at two museums, both in my hometown. At The Blanton Museum of Art on the University of Texas at Austin's campus, I worked with Martha Bradshaw, the Manager of Visitor and Volunteer Services, to coordinate and orientate volunteers at the museum and facilitating our installation art/art-making station, the WorkLab Satellites. Each day I am in the museum, I interact with visitors and volunteers, make friends with the Gallery Assistants (our security folks, many of whom are current or former UT students), and meet more and more of the staff through the logistics of day-to-day business in the gallery. I have really enjoyed getting to know some of the docents as well because they are just as passionate about the works in our permanent collections as they are about the works that are only on display for a short time. Additionally, I have spent time working with volunteer records in the Altru database/ records management system that the museum has in place.

My second internship is with Emily Cayton, Associate Educator for Teachers and Docents at The Contemporary Austin.  While The Blanton has a substantial permanent collection including paintings and prints going back to the Medieval period, Classical casts, and a significant component of Latin American contemporary art, The Contemporary's downtown location serves as a white box space, a blank page for each new exhibit to interact with uniquely. My primary responsibility has been doing research about upcoming works and preparing materials about them for the docents. For someone who is accustomed to researching in the stacks of a library or skimming through JSTOR search results, this has been an experience of becoming more aware of the variety of online art resources and how helpful (or otherwise) news articles about new and old exhibitions can be. A studio artist and passionate art educator, Emily has also fostered in me an interest in art education with print resources, allowing me to shadow her tours, and by getting to assist during part of the Summer Teacher Institute, a continuing education opportunity for local art teachers, which explored a variety of methods and lessons for teaching through an art museum. Through these internships I have learned about two different kinds of art, been a part of two different kinds of art museum, and learned to see the museum experience from the view of the educator and the visitor.

            As long as I am in the area, I’ll be able to stay a part of these institutions through volunteering and I intend to serve as a docent for the Do Ho Suh exhibition for which I researched. http://thecontemporaryaustin.org/exhibitions/do-ho-suh/

 

One of the WorkLab Satellites and a supply cart
Blanton Blog Post: http://blog.blantonmuseum.org/2014/06/worklab-satellites-an-interview-with-artist-leslie-mutchler.html 

Kelli D. at the Evansville Museum

During the spring 2014 semester I worked as an intern at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science. When I started I had only vague ideas about what went on behind the scene at museums and through this internship I learned about all of the details. While at the Evansville Museum I was given the opportunity to work on many projects that will help me with my future career in archaeology. I spent several weeks assisting in installing and removing exhibits for both art and history. I learned how to properly store art and artifacts from the museum’s collection such as rolling and covering textiles onto PVC pipes to be stored. I utilized PastPerfect to look up pieces and enter more information such as photographs, descriptions, and location for these pieces into the database. I also learned how to properly photograph and record the condition of World War I and II uniforms that were used in the World War II exhibit.  I was lucky that I was able to do and learn a variety of things. I was given the opportunity to inventory a trunk of donations given to the museum and design a display case for the High School Art Show. This internship was an excellent opportunity for me to learn what working in a museum is like.  I am very grateful for the experience and knowledge that I have gained during my time there and I hope that other students will have as great of an experience as I did.

Carissa K. at the Evansville African American Museum

I have been volunteering at the Evansville African American Museum since 2012. I first found out about it through the museum studies class offered here. I have loved it there. My main role was helping to accession new pieces in the collection. I have handled a WWII military jacket, Liberian statuettes, a slave quilt, and many other wonderful artifacts. I was also able to help the curator, Ms. Brittney Westbrook, set up a few exhibits. Ms. Westbrook is amazing. She will take the time to show you multiple ways a collection can be managed. I have learned how to store and clean artifacts as well as how to label them with accession numbers and how to handle many different pieces. She has taken so much of her time to educate me one on one and made me feel like I have the skills and abilities I need to succeed. This museum is unique because it focuses on Evansville history within the context of the rest of the nation.

I have helped out with office work as well when Ms. Westbrook couldn’t be there and was able to meet the rest of the staff who are upbeat and as nice as can be. It really helps you understand what goes in to running a museum on a small scale, everyone has so many different things they do. I have even worked on mailings with Ms. Westbrook!

The museum is always looking for new volunteers and interns. You don’t have to be interested in collections to go there. They are looking for a wide range of interests and a great attitude. It’s a great place to have on your resume and Ms. Westbrook is definitely willing to write a reference for you, I know I have her as one of mine. It’s close to campus and even if you can only spare an hour a week its worth it. If you volunteer or intern there be ready to be hands on with artifacts and possibly meet some of Evansville’s own historical characters.

Working with Ms. Westbrook and the rest of the staff has been amazing. I am glad I got to be part of the museum for the time that I was. I highly encourage anyone looking for experience, especially in collections, to go their way.

 

 

Stephanie M. Ellingson Internship Work

The University of Evansville received a generous donation from the family of Dr. Mary Ellingson including several original letters and a photo album detailing her experience on a pivotal archaeological dig in Olynthus, Greece in 1931. This stayed on a shelf for many years until Dr. Kaiser rediscovered it. He became fascinated with the material and studied it in order to write a book.

My job has been to preserve the material that the University has both electronically and in the library. I created a system to electronically store all of the transcripts of the letters, paperwork, and articles. I also scanned all the handwritten letters so that if anyone wanted to check my transcription they could. The original and photocopied documents were then each placed in an individual acid free folder for their protection and stored in a document box. There are two document boxes one for photocopies and another for originals. Each folder was labeled with three things. First, type of document: letter, article, or paperwork. Second, its date or the estimated date if one could be assigned to it. Lastly, it was labeled with a detail or title of the specific document.

My next task was to conserve the album. First the Browning Miller intern and I photographed each page to preserve the original context of the photos. Next we scanned each individual photo. All of these photos were then organized electronically in order for them to be accessed easily. The most crucial aspect of this project was putting the album back together. It was very important to obtain special materials to protect the original photos and paper. The end result was a fully protected album that will be around for future generations to study and enjoy.  

 

Make sure you check out the Ellingson display, which will be set up in the university library cases from April 7th to April 28th. SAHA will be receiving a special presentation on the Ellingson artifacts on April 14th at 8pm. Go to Hyde 8 and we will begin from there!

Less than one year after graduation: Elizabeth Bostelman ('12) at the Indiana War Memorial

After graduation, I went straight to work at a pool and spa store, Bradbury’s Waterin’ Hole, in my hometown. Since then the girl who hates chemistry has been learning all about balancing pH and keeping the right chlorine levels in pools and spas. I work mostly on the retail floor, a new experience for me.

Elizabeth would like to sell you a spa.

After the insanity of the summer was over, I realized I needed something to feed my brain so I enrolled in Penn State’s World Campus program. I’m currently about three quarters of the way through a graduate certificate in GIS. It has been really interesting and I am learning lots of new skills! I’m also staying “in the field” by volunteering on my day off at the Indiana War Memorial. The current project I’m working on is researching 400 Army Special Forces flashes and ovals, which unit they belonged to, when they were worn, etc. It’s been a very interesting project. The next project I’m hopefully going to work on is creating a database of all the WWII Hoosier veterans. I researched UE veterans from the Civil War to Afghanistan and Iraq for my senior honors’ project, and I presented the results at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research last year.

The Indiana War Memorial

My long-term plan is to continue to work at Bradbury’s for another full year and enroll in a graduate program by fall 2014. I’m still trying to decide what kind of program I want – Classical Archaeology will always fascinate me, but I’ve really enjoyed all the work I’ve done with Military History – so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what program accepts me!

2012 Graduate Rachel Lawrence at Dickson Mounds and beyond

I started working for a retail company in May almost immediately after graduating, and I have the majority of my loans paid back.  My goal when I graduated was to work long enough to pay those loans and get a financial cushion before I continued in graduate school, and I will hopefully be returning to academia next year.  I have tried to stay in the archaeological field by volunteering at Dickson Mounds in Lewiston, Illinois, and I have staffed big events and we are working on more in this upcoming spring and summer.  Even though it is not paid work, I still feel like I am part of the staff there, and I really enjoy working with visitors, young and old, on Native American craft projects and archaeology-related topics and activities.  For example, not long after I learned how to use it successfully, I taught some visitors how to throw a dart with an atlatl. 

Between work and Dickson Mounds, I continue to revise my research project on Vlad the Impaler.  In December 2012, a conference published the revised edition of the paper I presented, and I have continued to revise and expand not only that but also my undergraduate thesis.  I would like to make Vlad part of my career, as has been my goal for almost twelve years (I am not joking), so I have kept up with the research and I am planning a trip to Romania either this fall or next year.  In the meantime, I'll just keep working.

Less Than One Year After Graduation: Emily Mella at American University

Hello UE Archaeology!  I graduated in May 2012 and spent the month of June in Israel as part of the Jezreel Expedition, which was a great experience.  We surveyed for two weeks, excavated for a week, and then spent another 12 days traveling through Israel and Jordan.  It was exhausting, but a fabulous way to spend a summer.  After getting back to the US, I picked up and moved to Washington DC to start graduate school.  I am pursuing my MA in International Affairs from American University and with a focus in the Middle East.  The first few months were a weird transition for me – I was determined to find a job that wasn’t waiting tables or working at Starbucks, but couldn’t find one and settled for an unpaid internship instead.  I got a position archiving for an NGO called the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, which focuses on dialogue and conflict resolution.  My job was to go through their old program files, organize the documents, and write a project report reviewing each one.  The work was a bit boring, but I got to attend their staff meetings and interview the organization’s founder, a former US Ambassador, about the projects I was working on. 

This semester, I am doing another internship (also unpaid) for an organization called the Partnership for Global Security.  As their nuclear research intern, my job has been to gather and analyze data regarding civil nuclear programs all over the world.  My final product will be a report about the future of the civil nuclear industry for the organization.  In addition to my internships, I have been taking Arabic classes, which have been really interesting.  Living in DC is fun – I had a bit of culture shock being on the east coast (I’m from Texas originally), but the city is beautiful.  I never get less excited to see the national monuments and still haven’t explored all the city’s museums.  Plus, going to the presidential inauguration was really cool, even though it was freezing!   My plan for the summer is to try to get a job of some sort (even if it is waiting tables) and to volunteer somewhere, like the National Children’s Museum.  With a little more museum experience, I would really like to get a job designing educational programs at a museum after I graduate.

Graduate Rachel Lawrence Interns in Illinois

I volunteer at the Peoria Historical Society in Peoria, IL, where I have been designing a virtual exhibit that supplements the new museum in Peoria and the Smithsonian.  I planned everything from formatting to information to images.  In addition to that, I catalog artifacts in our collection, including items from the arrival of the French in the mid-17th century to photographs and books.

I also have just started an internship at Dickson Mounds Museum near Lewiston, IL.  In September I was one of two archaeologists to lead their "Be an Archaeologist for a Day" program where fifteen students from the ages of 10-12 participated.  Now, I am helping to plan some of their events for October and November as well as learning to lead tours and other group activities.

Student Carissa Kepner at Angel Mounds

Interning at Angel Mounds during the spring semester and in summer 2012 has been one of my most enjoyable college experiences so far. I have had many opportunities to solve problems and be creative and inventive, and I have really enjoyed getting to know the Angel Mounds staff.

Carissa stands next to a seed sorter at the spring Farm Fest event at Angel Mounds.

The first thing to know is that Angel Mounds isn’t a big museum, and you shouldn’t go into an internship at this site thinking that you’re going to be handling and cataloguing a lot of artifacts. In fact, most of what the interns do is interact with the public and help plan and run events. I have developed my people skills and improved my public speaking skills at Angel Mounds by giving presentations to visitors and helping out with off-site presentations in the community. I am very proud of my ability to talk to people on the phone, as when I started I was terrible at it and now I can talk smoothly and professionally. This summer I have been planning, setting up, and running events for the four themed day camps organized by Angel Mounds. I was even allowed to plan one entire day of camp with help from the staff. There is a lot of give and take between the interns and the staff that makes Angel Mounds feel like a family. There is a lot of trust that develops between the staff and their interns, and the staff members really made me feel like my work was contributing to the good of the site.

I helped kids build this boat for Angel Mounds Extreme Egypt camp and we all got to try it out.

I learned a lot from my time there, not only about the history of the site and Mississippian culture, but also about all of the different kinds of work that go into running a museum. Although the internship is unpaid, it is well worth your time, especially during the summer when you keep constantly busy. If you are willing to learn and work hard, you will have a lot of fun.

Internships!

An internship is a fantastic way to gain practical experience working in a museum or other cultural institution.  UE students have the opportunity to intern during the fall and spring semesters at such places at the Evansville Museum, the Reitz Home Museum, CMOE - the Children's Museum of Evansville, and Angel Mounds.  Now is the time to plan for a fall 2012 internship! 

Seniors Anna S. and Josie C. represent CMOE, where they are both interns, at Kids Art Fest at the Evansville Museum.

Alumna Stephanie F. at the Smithsonian

Click here to read alumna Stephanie F.'s blog entry describing her summer internship at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. 

Student Elizabeth Bostelman at Prince William Forest Park, VA

Working in the park collections.

This summer I spent twelve weeks at Prince William Forest Park about 30 miles outside of Washington D.C. as a Cultural Resource Diversity Intern.  Before I tell you all about my project, let me give you a little history on the park. The park was created as a Recreational Demonstration Area (RDA) in the late 1930’s during the New Deal Era. Chopawamsic RDA, as it was called then, was built to be the model for other RDAs built across the country. Two small towns and many farmers were displaced to create the 13,000 acres of park land you see today. The Civilian Conservation Corps followed the farmers and built five cabin camps in the park, which are still used today. During World War II the park was taken over by the OSS, a precursor to the CIA, for training purposes. After World War II the park was turned back over to the Park Service.

Fast forward to 2011 and the park is having its 75th anniversary. Remember those towns that were displaced to create the park? Well the people who lived there left something behind……….48 cemeteries. The problem was no one knew who actually owned the cemeteries. This made it difficult for the park employees to form any kind of management plan, so my job was to discover who owned the cemeteries.

By the end of the summer I had confirmed the ownership status of 40 of the 48 cemeteries. Thirty-one of the cemeteries are owned by the park and nine are owned by the families who used to live on the land. Some of the sources I used to discover the ownership status were local researchers, a trip to the National Archives and sitting at the computer going through pages and pages of digitized deeds. Since many of the cemeteries were away from the trails in the park, this project also involved a lot of work with GIS. I definitely sharpened my GIS skills this summer!

One of the highlights of the summer was getting to participate in the 75th anniversary camp out. The other Resource Management interns and I were put in charge of the Camp Olympics. We had to plan all the games and work with Maintenance to ensure we had all our supplies. Some of the games we had were tug-of-war, an obstacle course, and the classic egg and spoon race. It was a great weekend enjoyed by the guests and staff alike!

Tug-of-war!

There are so many more adventures I could tell you about: why I spent a day all muddy from head to toe, the copperheads, 4th of July in D.C., the list could go on for many more pages! I loved every minute of my summer and loved the program I was involved in. For those of you that are interested for next summer check out the website at the top and if you’re not convinced yet, this might entice you. It’s a paid internship! If you want to hear more about what I did, come find me on campus! I’d love to tell you!

All of the inerns and supervisors.

Alumna Profile: Julie C. ('07) in California

At UE, my passion for historical interpretation and the protection of historic sites and collections was solidified. After graduating in 2007, I spent a summer interning with the Department of Prehistory and Europe at the British Museum in London. I was a member of the “Etton Registration Project” team, which was charged with cataloging a decade’s worth of archaeological material from the prehistoric site of Etton, UK. In addition to photographing, sorting and storing human and animal remains, as well as more flint than one can possibly imagine, I was allowed rare access to the museum’s largest storage facility, Blythe House, which it shares with the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. For instance, I saw the Vindolanda tablets up close, I learned the BM’s newest conservation methods for textiles and Iron Age artifacts, and I witnessed the restoration of Egyptian temple reliefs. I cannot even mention some of the stuff they have locked away in the basement!

Julie in the gardens at Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, UK

It was a few tube stops away at the Victoria and Albert Museum that I developed a new, but deep appreciation for the art of South Asia, particularly the religious art of India. After doing a bit of research and, ironically, just walking a few blocks away from the British Museum, I discovered the School of Oriental and African Studies, part of the University of London. It was there in the fall of 2008 that I began my MA in the History of Art and Archaeology specializing in the art of South Asia. In my Master’s dissertation I was able to merge my love for the city of London and my interest in Hindu art by examining how modern British Hindus have had to adapt urban secular spaces to become temples for lack of space and creative license due to cultural and governmental controls. The centerpiece of my study was Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Tudor-style manor house on the outskirts of London that devotees have converted into a temple with multiple shrines both inside and on the grounds. It was gifted to the Hare Krishna movement by George Harrison, which I like to think made my dissertation a tad bit more rock ‘n’ roll than the rest!

California Oil Museum, Santa Paula, CA

Today, I am the Assistant Museum Educator at the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula, CA (follow us on Facebook!). As assistant to the museum’s director, I am responsible for creating marketing materials, such as press releases and posters, installing exhibitions whose contents range from fossils to paintings, and ensuring the day-to-day running of the museum. As assistant educator, I give tours to the public and to school groups and am currently developing new activities for students that meet state curriculum standards while utilizing the history of our building, the second story of which retains its appearance and contents from the late 19th century. On the weekends, I am a docent at the Malibu Lagoon Museum and Adamson House in Malibu, CA where I guide visitors through a 1930s-era Spanish Colonial Revival-style beach house and also get to enjoy a wonderful view of the ocean! My degree in archaeology and art history from UE has allowed me to view some rare and spectacular sights/sites and has definitely imbued in me a unique way of looking at the world. I cannot wait to see where it takes me next!

Student Clare Pressimone in Pennsylvania

This summer I held an internship at the Reading Public Museum in Reading, PA. This internship was a self-guided experience with the help of the Director of Education, Anne Corso. My job was to develop an informational packet for students, teachers, and visitors to the Ancient Greece Gallery in the museum. I focused on the eight red-figure and black-figure vases that are displayed prominently in the gallery; in the packet, I discussed the techniques used to create the vases, described the characters on them, and compared the themes to those of our everyday lives. This packet will be available on the museum's website and in the museum itself by the end of the year so that all who wish to better understand this unique collection can do so.

Clare is a sophomore Archaeology and Art History double major.

Student Josephine Curtis in Tennessee

This summer I volunteered at the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center in Clarksville, TN. The Customs House Museum currently features exhibits on fishing history in Tennessee, landscape painting by the Chestnut Group of Tennessee, great sports and challenging feats done by Clarksville locals and Call to Arms, an exhibit about Clarksville veterans of the two World Wars. The museum also offers hands-on activities for children, including model trains, a Monster Maze, Memory Lane featuring artifacts and part of a cabin from historic Clarksville, an Explorers Gallery and a Bubble Cave. My job was usually to welcome visitors and take admissions at the reception desk, although I also helped with special events like a theatre performance put on at the museum by Austin Peay State University. All in all, I loved volunteering at the Customs House Museum.

Josephine is a junior Archaeology major at UE.

Student Leah Thomas at the Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth, TX

This summer, I spent eleven weeks as an intern in the Sid Richardson Museum Education Department in Fort Worth, Texas. The Sid Richardson Museum is a collection of Western Art, primarily that of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. I was fortunate to work with a very caring and encouraging staff who spent the first four weeks teaching me about museum resources and introducing me to the Sid Richardson collection. My internship project focused on a new family education program to be implemented later this year. The final product will be an iPad program consisting of an audio script, images, and sound effects. My part in the development of this program was to research two assigned artworks, write the audio scripts based on this research, and compile relevant images to appear on the iPad. I additionally created an associated Young Viewers’ Guide for each piece of art, intended for five to seven year olds. I now more fully appreciate the extensive research, editing, and time that is required to develop children’s museum programs, and am inspired to see the positive influence art can have on people’s lives.

Leah is a junior Archaeology and Art History double-major at UE.

Student summer plans

Check out the summer plans of some of our Archaeology and Art History majors:

Megan Anderson, PAST Foundation's Underwater Field School, Key Largo, FL and Rio Bravo Archaeological Field School, Belize
Elizabeth Bostelman, USI’s Excavations in New Harmony, IN
Josephine Curtis, Customs House Internship, Clarksville, TN
Alexandra Cutler, Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Excavations at Kincaid Mounds, IL
Joanne DeMaio, USI’s Excavations in New Harmony, IN
Abigail DiGiorgi, ETSU Archaeological Field School, Upper Cumberland Plateau, TN
Kelly Goodner, Central Washington University’s Wenas Creek Mammoth Project, Ellensburg, WA
Allison Hayden, Tel Ifshar Ground Stone Analysis, Haifa University, Israel (funded by UExplore Undergraduate Research Grant)
Michael Koletsos, UC Berkeley Archaeological Field School in Nemea, Greece
Rachel Lawrence, Center for American Archeology Field School, Kampsville, IL
Amanda Lean, National Parks Service Employee, AZ
Stephanie Lee, Center for American Archeology Field School, Kampsville, IL
Kaitlin Lynch, Angel Mounds State Historic Site Employee, Evansville, IN
Daniel Mohorcic, Cultural Resources Analysts, Inc., Evansville, IN
Clare Pressimone, Reading Museum Internship, Reading, PA
Alyssa Richardson, Nappanee Public Library Internship, Nappanee, IN
Matthew Schueller, Balkan Heritage’s Excavations at Hyraclea Lyncestis, Macedonia
Leah Thomas, Sid Richardson Museum Internship, Fort Worth, TX