It was the spring of 2018, and like many juniors approaching their senior year, I began to develop a sense of dread. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do after graduating from college.
Since I had nearly finished the courses for my international affairs degree, I decided to look for an internship in the nonprofit sector. After some digging around, I noticed the Georgia Museum of Art was 1. a nonprofit, and 2. had a variety of internships available. Check and check. I applied and began interning in the development department.
As an intern, I helped prepare for board meetings and track museum membership. I also helped coordinate museum events like the quarterly 90 Carlton gallery receptions and the Black History Month Dinner. One of the most exciting events I worked on was planning for Elegant Salute, which is a total beast of an event that the museum puts on every other year. I learned the ins and outs of working in development and while I enjoyed the people I worked with and had a lot of fun at my internship, I wasn’t quite sure if a career in nonprofit development was for me.
Luckily, my desk was right outside the chief preparator’s office. Before interning at the museum I had no idea what a preparator was. As it turned out, there is a whole department of people who design the layout of the gallery spaces, install and care for the art. When you go to a museum and you see a frustrating “Gallery Closed for Installation” sign up, it’s the preparators who are bustling behind the closed doors.
Until then I had never stopped to think about it, but of course that job existed. After some initial eavesdropping on the prep team, I decided I wanted to be one of them. I introduced myself to the chief preparator and I began interning with them as well.
My internship with the preparators was never boring. I was able to participate in the exhibition process at every stage. Some days I patched holes in the walls and repainted the galleries. Other days I learned how to handle art, frame works on paper or light the galleries. I also worked with power tools and went up in the hydraulic lift. I experienced the excitement of cracking open a new crate of art on loan, and felt the satisfaction of walking through a newly installed gallery space before anyone else was able to see it. I made a custom box for a small statue of a duck, and I learned to tell the difference between “candlelight beige” and “adobe white” (because I definitely didn’t want to repaint a wall the wrong shade of white).
I was hooked almost instantly. This was a job I could see myself doing for years. I liked how every day was different, and I loved handling and interacting with the art. The prep team and my bosses from the development department were encouraging, and they gave me some pointers to find a museum job. While it took me quite a lot of job hunting (I think I applied to close to 70 jobs after graduation), I eventually landed my dream job.
This month I will start working at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, as the art framer and conservation department assistant. I am beyond excited for this opportunity, and I am incredibly thankful to everyone at the Georgia Museum of Art for helping me achieve this. It is quite funny to think that I wouldn’t have considered applying for this position if I had not interned for the development department.
By Kat Sarris
