The main component to my internship project was creating a timeline/guide of the 25 and Under Art Contest. I worked from the outline that had been created when the Museum planned this year's contest, adding in details and suggestions for next year. The secondary part of my project was the creation of a program that would sort through the contest's entries. I wanted to make this program because during my internship I was responsible for manually sorting through the entries and I wouldn't wish that on anyone else.
Above is a picture of me at the 2015 25 and Under Art Contest showcase. The 25 and Under Art Contest is what I've been focusing on during my internship, and this showcase is what I've been working towards. Now my project is over, and so is internship. I'm ready to move on, but at the same time I'm sad to say goodbye.
From my internship I've learned a few things about what I do and don't want to do with my life. I don't want an office job. Although I enjoyed my experience at my internship, by the end of it my legs ached from under-use. I think that I would like a career that is equal parts moving and sitting. I think I would also like something that involves more interaction with art itself. What I enjoyed most about my internship was how much I learned about modern artists and the contemporary art world. I realized how little I really know about the art scene, but my internship has given me the tools to fix that.
Although I have thought about college and my career before, internship was a bit of a wake-up call. Going to a real workplace each morning was very different from going to school. It was exhausting because of the stress and non-activity. Internship made me realize that my career won't be a cakewalk, and I'll probably have to start it by doing jobs that aren't always exciting. Going out of high school, I need to be prepared for the struggles of the adult world. I would also talk about how observing the characteristics of others during my internship has made me realize things I would like to change about myself or improve on, but I've already achieved those things over the course of my internship. Coming into internship, I had many useful skills, coming out of internship, I have even more.
During my internship I have been very good about speaking up for myself; asking for help when I need it and always explaining my thoughts. Because a lot of my work is dependent on others (meaning I need information from them to complete my tasks) I have gained a lot of courage during my internship. I would rather ask for help than do a terrible job.
This internship has definitely helped me realize what I do and don't want to do as a career. Although I appreciate the Museum and its mission, I'm close to ruling out museums from my career path. However, I'm glad that this internship has given me the opportunity to explore new fields and find out more about careers that I am interested in
My internship project will be making the next intern's job easier. What I mean is that I'll be writing instructions for the 25 and Under Art Contest, which has been my main focus at internship. I will expanding on the master timeline for the Contest, essentially creating a walk-through of what I've been working on at internship. The expanded timeline will contain detailed instructions so that the next employee or intern that does this job will be able to be self sufficient and efficient. My goal is to cover all questions that may come up in the process of the Contest.
Today I interviewed my mentor, Education Curator Cristina Scorza, everyone calls her Cris. She has been at the Museum for 16 years. She is mainly responsible for managing the interpretation of the Museum's permanent collection and of its current exhibitions. Cris oversees the gallery educators and manages most public programs at the Museum.
It's been rather frightening how much I see themes of school reflected in my internship. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) staff, or at least those in the Education department, are focused on reflection just as much as the staff of High Tech High Chula Vista (HTHCV) are.
We were asked to post a picture, with one word caption, describing our experience at our internship. Above is my picture. I've been focusing on the 25 and Under Art Contest, so I chose to take a picture next to the sign (the 25 and Under Art Contest exists to annually celebrate the fact that individuals 25 and under get into MCASD for free).
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AuthorLynnee Lampton, a student from High Tech High Chula Vista (HTHCV) interning at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) from May until June 2015. CategoriesArchives |