intern diary

Sorry I'm slow at updating, but to those of you who read this and do not know already, I am now an intern at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago!

It is an amazing museum and one of the top contemporary museums out there. Getting an internship here is kinda a big deal...and I got two. I feel SO blessed every day that I am in the museum. This is the career I want and it feels good to know that and to work towards it.

My first day was kicked off with a tour of the museum - well, a tour of the offices of the museum. I got to meet department heads, curators, tech guys, and the secretaries. I filled out some paper work for the intern coordinator and got my picture taken for my I.D. and the museum "yearbook." I also got a run down of some future projects.

My second day started off with a very exciting meeting with artist Jimmy Robert. He is an emerging contemporary artist and has won quite a few awards in the past few years. He does 2D and 3D art as well as performance. His 2D art is really fascinating because he starts with a 2D image, then turns it into a 3D collage, then scans that 3D collage back into a digital 2D image. Then he prints out that image on super thick paper that is pinned to the wall in the exhibition. Over time the paper curls and it becomes 3D again. Like this: 

For Public Programming, I am in charge of submitting our monthly events to a website and radio station we partner with. I upload our images and audio recordings of events, along with some text about the events, to the website. 

I also compiled materials for the Education Advisory Committee meeting. This meeting happens three times a year, and is an opportunity for the donors and board members to meet with education department members. (Lots of very important people with lots of money!) I gathered the agenda, minutes, and information about various events, and distributed the folders to all members during the meeting. I will be in charge of the program for an artist talk/performance coming up soon, and I'll work the event that day.

The most exciting project I am doing for Public Programming right now is the audio tour mixtapes. For our 1980's exhibition coming up next week, several artists in the exhibition put together playlists of songs from the 80's that have inspired them. I figured out what songs we have the legal rights to, and I have been hunting down the tracks on iTunes and hard copies of cds of the other songs we cannot find online. I'll buy all the songs and then upload them to the iPods that are used for audio tours. The mixtapes are also being played during the exhibition opening and reception.

For Family and Youth programming, I am mostly helping to organize Family Days. I communicate with artists to find out what materials are needed for their family day stations, and work with them to create a floor plan and shopping list. I'll help get the materials and prep them (tomorrow i am painting!) and will help organize the volunteers who will help us run the event. I also put together the e-newsletter that goes out to MCA members to publicize for Family Day. 

So far there are also some pretty great perks:

• a litte blue card that gets me into every museum in the country for free. and i get 4 guests with me. I am hoping to go to NYC before the end of the year. Anyone want to come with me? 
• meetings with all sorts of famous artists and museum people
• invitations to exhibition openings, artist lectures and tours, and special events like first fridays

This is an AMAZING opportunity and I am trying to take advantage of it and attend every meeting and event I can. And hopefully some day this will turn into my job!