Ars Longa, Vita Brevis

–Sophia Maldonado, 2021 Education Intern

After being accepted as an intern for the Chrysler Museum of Art, I was overjoyed by the fact that my dream of interning at an art museum would now become a reality. As an undergraduate student double majoring in classics and art history and minoring in museum studies at the University of Mary Washington, I had repeatedly and enthusiastically voiced my desire of working at an art museum following my studies. Interning with the education department has helped me prepare for this goal. During my time as an intern, I have been able to work on a variety of projects and experience first-hand the dynamic work environment that a museum, such as the Chrysler, has to offer.

Although my projects differed from each other, this exposure to the diverse range of work within a single department allowed me to garner a deeper understanding of how museums work and function, and it allowed me to develop a fuller picture of the realities of such complex institutions. Among these projects, one involved conducting research and writing an educator guide about the myths and stereotypes of Native Americans in art of the Chrysler’s permanent collection. Creating the educator guide entailed: providing context for the selected artworks, establishing links between works through shared themes as well as the sequence in which these works appeared, presenting thought-provoking questions, and supplying additional resources so that professors from any discipline who wish to utilize this resource are able to extend their conversation beyond the information that I provided. As a student whose research is primarily concerned with representations and reception of cultural groups often deemed “The Other” in antiquity and modernity, having the opportunity to explore this recurring theme in art history using the Chrysler’s collection was an extremely invaluable experience and one which will help me in my future career as a museum professional.

Another one of my favorite projects consisted of planning Art Out Loud, the Chrysler’s event to engage young professionals. Having the opportunity to come up with the theme as well as potential activities and ways to engage visitors allowed me to implement my background in art history yet exercise my creativity in new and different ways. Meeting with and reaching out to local businesses and historic houses in the Norfolk area to discuss partnerships for the event was incredibly exciting. I learned how to establish and reinforce relationships within the local community that will result in a program for our members and visitors that has been carefully thought out without a single detail going unnoticed.

Nevertheless, my time was not strictly confined to the education department, and I was able to witness the true spirit of collaboration facilitated at the Chrysler. The enthusiasm and transparency present interdepartmentally was made apparent from day one. Along with the other interns, I was thrown into a meeting and immediately prompted to offer thoughts about current and future projects. Attending these meetings and witnessing the amount of planning that goes into an exhibition was incredibly eye opening because I was able to see areas of significance or concern relating to various aspects of an exhibition and how multiple departments come together to solve these issues.

Interning for the Chrysler was an incredibly rewarding experience and one that I am especially grateful for. After months of uncertainty and disillusion due to the pandemic, having the ability to come in person to complete this internship and experience some sense of normalcy provided me with the opportunity to learn and grow in a stimulating and dynamic environment. Working with the education department has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my academic career. Whether I was helping with crafts for Family Days, working on developing activities and/or programs for members of the public, or attending a meeting with other departments to discuss upcoming projects, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how to engage different audiences and what works and doesn’t work for these various audiences. My career aspirations align with curatorial work; however, learning to think like an educator will help me to approach art and exhibitions in a way that will engage and excite the public and bring them into the museum to facilitate meaningful conversations about the artworks. With these future plans of pursuing art history studies in graduate school and a career in curatorial work, the internship program with the Chrysler has helped further develop and shape my interests in the field and propel my desire for working within the museum world.