My name is Brianna Berry and I’m currently in my last semester at the University of Louisville studying music and psychology. A little over a month ago, I emailed Daniel, the Curator at the Carnegie Center for Art and History, to see if there were any internship opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in the museum world. My information was forwarded to Al, the Coordinator of Public Programs & Engagement, and about a week later, I was starting my first day as a museum intern!
I’ve learned so much about how museums run this past month. With Al, I’ve learned how much work and preparation goes into planning the events that the museum puts on. I’ve done everything from gathering (and sometimes creating) supplies needed for events to leading some of the events, like I’ll do later this month at some elementary schools. With Daniel, I’ve learned so much information on art handling and installation. I helped him unpack the artwork for the current show, Donnett & Turner, and he taught me the process of properly unpacking art. The next week, he walked me through his process of choosing what artwork should be displayed next to each other and the technical side of installing the pieces, giving me the opportunity to help put up a few parts of the show.
From Eileen, the Director of the Carnegie Center, I have received a different kind of project. I’ve been researching other museums and their educational programs for families and teens to see what kinds of programs and workshops are popular and successful. I’ll get to turn my research into a small presentation for the Carnegie Center’s education board so we can start brainstorming the best ways to improve the programs we already have, as well as come up with new educational material for our guests. I’m excited about this project because I’m learning a lot about how other museums structure their education programs, but I’m also gaining presentation experience and getting a peek into the world that museum directors live in!
My internship at the Carnegie Center has been a great experience so far! Everyone here has been really welcoming to me and have taught me so much. Honestly, I think this has been the best experience for me as an introduction into the museum world because this internship has provided me the ability to learn about all aspects of a museum. I am looking forward to the rest of my time interning here this semester until I graduate from the University of Louisville in December!
Brianna Berry is an intern at Carnegie Center for Art and History. She attends the University of Louisville and is studying music and psychology.
