Eight weeks goes by so fast by Monica H.

The past two month have gone by so fast.    We’ve learned a lot, we’ve laughed, and we’ve cried (mainly from blisters on our swollen, tired feet), but all and all I must say it has been a good run. For all those who may read this blog after the AIC Interns ’09 have long departed here are some words of wisdom.

FYI – The Logistical: The education department here at the AIC is comprised of three divisions – Student Programs, Family Programs, and Adult Programs.  The AIC has a structured two-month internship program, to which I applied and was accepted.  There are eight interns total, including myself, this year.  We are based in the student programs department and our primary responsibilities have been to research and conduct tours for groups of school children that range in age from pre-kindergarten to high school.  Tours are scheduled five days a week from 10:30-11:30 and are sometimes followed by a studio activity and/or lunch.

In addition to student tours, I have also conducted tours for family programs and adult programs.  Family tours are scheduled Thursday through Saturday and are especially designed for family groups, grownups (parents, grandparents, etc…) who are visiting the museum with children. The tours are half an hour long and are followed by a studio activity. Adult tours are scheduled throughout the day as well as Thursday and Friday evenings, when the museum has extended hours, and are either an  hour or a half hour long.

On top of touring responsibilities we are also working, in pairs, on a research based teacher packet project.  The teacher packet is focused on one work from the museum’s modern and contemporary art collection.  I have been assigned to work on Martin Puryear’s Sanctuary, 1982.  The packets are designed to be used by teachers in the classroom and consist of a brief biographical essay on the artist and description of the work, discussion based questions, and activities.

A short reflection and food for thought: This internship has provided an important opportunity to see if/how theory and practice come toghther.  I must admit, in my museum studies course we read a number of museologist pontificating on rather Utopian ideas.  I like Utopian ideas, the problem with Utopian ideas is that they should not be seen as a means to end.  Museum operate under physical, financial, and logistical limitations.  The challenges faced by museum professionals, especially those who work in the education department, are changing as museums attempt to assert a new position for themselves as not only repositories of precious objects, but also cultrual centers, and dare I say entertainment venues.  These are important roles for the museum to adopt.  Asking questions that motivate discussions are a place to start: Who/how does the museum represent?  How are objects interpreted?  How do people learn in museums?  What is the nature of the visitor experience in the museum? What is the relationship between the museum and the community?  I’ve apprecaited that during the internship at the AIC, I was able to discuss some of these questions with my fellow interns and museum staff.  The future for the AIC looks exciting, I was happy to have been a small part of it.