Events

I started working at the College of Wooster Art Museum last fall. I greeted visitors and promoted museum exhibitions and events. I expressed interest in assisting with program development and had the opportunity to coordinate a series of jazz performances for the exhibition Essential Matter. Soon after this, Dr. Marianne Wardle and Tracy Mathys invited me to take on the role of Programs Intern at the museum. The Art Bridges Foundation, which loaned the CWAM Lake Valley, provided funding support for this position.

Being a Programs Intern gave me a new perspective on what goes into running a museum. My primary tasks were to create a social media plan and organize several events related to Lake Valley. Since my internship was a hybrid, part-time position, my main hurdle was navigating communication with Dr. Wardle, Tracy, and other collaborators. The shared Word document that outlined the events we were planning was extremely helpful as it served as a central resource for my work. Overall, I developed confidence in my collaboration skills. I’m particularly proud of the work I did with Rachel David and the Peer Health Interns at the Longbrake Wellness Center to organize an event about friendship and the transition to summertime. It was exciting to learn about their approach to planning events and to hear feedback on how I led meetings.

As an introvert, I’m someone who likes to have a lot of independent work. After gaining more exposure to the public-facing aspects of museum work, I’m now interested in exploring collections management and research. I was able to dive deeper into these areas as an intern for LancasterHistory in Lancaster, PA this summer. Although my internship involved independent research, I valued my collaborations with other museum staff for my project. I believe my experiences at the College of Wooster Art Museum helped me learn not only about what it’s like to work in a museum but also how to communicate with many different people, whether it be students, faculty, staff, or community members.