The Georgia Museum of Art appreciates the dedicated work and fresh perspectives of University of Georgia students, who contribute to the museum’s day-to-day operations through a variety of roles across departments. Here’s what some of our interns had to say about their experiences during the 2025 fall semester.
Lauren Bender, curatorial department intern
I feel very grateful to have worked with Dr. Asen Kirin on preparing the exhibition catalogue for one of the museum’s recent shows, “The Awe of Ordinary Labors: 20th-Century Paintings from Ukraine.” Throughout the internship, I’ve developed important skills for my future career, including conducting research, coordinating with other museum professionals and acquiring image copyrights. The most meaningful aspect of the internship, however, has been the chance to help preserve and highlight a small piece of Ukraine’s artistic heritage during this period of violence and great uncertainty about Ukraine’s future.
Lucy Smith Biemiller, registration department intern
I loved being able to apply the skills I learned in classes to a museum setting. I learned a lot during my internship, such as how to use the museum database system and Adobe Photoshop. Two of my favorite things I did were helping with the installation of the Rachel Hayes exhibition and learning how to directly label works of art.
Norin Bortz, graphic design intern
I just finished up my third and final semester as the graphic design intern with Noelle Shuck. I had a wonderful time at the museum over the past year and have gained such important experience collaborating with a senior graphic designer and implementing feedback into my work. I’ve especially enjoyed getting to implement Pentagram’s branding guidelines for the new rebrand earlier this year. The Georgia Museum of Art has such a welcoming environment and is a great place to learn about talented artists and gain hands-on experience in the arts!
Georgia Hayes, development department intern
Over this past semester, I have gained a much deeper understanding of how fundraising, donor relations and community engagement support the museum’s mission behind the scenes. I developed stronger communication skills, greater confidence with CRM/database systems and a more strategic sense of how to present information clearly and professionally. Overall, this experience has prepared me for my future by giving me firsthand exposure to a career that blends creativity, organization and public engagement.
Erin Ideker, exhibition design intern
This past summer I began working as the exhibition design intern at the museum. Working with Elizabeth Marable, the museum’s exhibition designer, has been such a wonderful learning experience. Elizabeth’s mentorship has allowed me to gain confidence as a designer and has empowered me to pursue a career in this field. I have learned how design influences visitors’ experiences and engagement with art, and the essential role designers play in making museums accessible to all. Going to the museum is often the highlight of my day. I am grateful to the wonderful staff who are willing to share their knowledge and welcome interns into their workplace.
Ivy Kolkana, curatorial intern
As a curatorial intern at the Georgia Museum of Art, I have loved researching and writing interpretive gallery labels and creating artist documentation that connects audiences to the modern and contemporary collections. My favorite project has been label writing for both the permanent collection and the temporary exhibition “We, Too, Are Made of Wonders,” which is coming next semester. This internship, along with Kathryn Hill’s extensive guidance, has perpetuated my knowledge about curatorial careers and all the complexities and beautiful contributions that come out of it. Because of this opportunity, I am more excited than ever to start my own journey into the curatorial world once my master’s program is complete.
Caroline Moore, preparation department intern
This is my second year interning in the Georgia Museum of Art’s preparation department, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience and work on another full cycle of exhibitions. This semester, I have continued to grow my love of and confidence in art handling by expanding my skills in installation, packing, lighting, matting and framing. Throughout my time at the museum, I have contributed to a variety of different projects and exhibitions and am always so impressed to witness the logistical complexity and level of detail that goes into creating a complete exhibition. I still feel like I learn something new with each rotation and that no semester looks entirely the same. I genuinely cannot envision my time at the University of Georgia without this internship and appreciate the Georgia Museum of Art for the space it has given me to learn alongside a wonderful community of students and professionals, whose insight and support I truly treasure. Thank you especially to Todd Rivers, Larry Forte and Robert Russell for their continued mentorship and patience. I am so very grateful.
Leticia Nogbe, public relations intern
Interning at the Georgia Museum of Art has been such a meaningful experience for me. A highlight of my semester was working on press releases and blog posts. I learned how to research artists, gather exhibition details and shape that information into clear and engaging writing. Contributing content about the Beverly Buchanan exhibition and the Louise Blair Daura display helped me grow as a writer and gave me a better understanding of how PR functions within a museum. I also enjoyed supporting events such as Family Day and seeing how the museum connects with the community. Overall, this internship strengthened my writing skills, built my confidence and prepared me for future work in communications.
Nabiha Rahman, public relations intern
As an artist myself, I’ve been so lucky to participate in this internship where I’m able to learn about art and talk about it. My favorite part of my job is getting to know the various artists who have been featured at the museum and talking to them about what inspires them to create. I’ve learned how to tailor my writing style to different formats such as press releases, blog posts and Instagram infographics while building meaningful relationships with journalists. Being able to hone my skills while writing about subjects that I’m passionate about has been such an incredible opportunity.
Jisu Stanfield, publications intern
As an English major and soon-to-be graduate, the Georgia Museum of Art’s publications internship has been pivotal for my career exploration and professional development. It has allowed me to work in a professional environment while giving me the flexibility necessary to succeed as a full-time student. The publications internship provides many writing, research and editing opportunities, including creating articles for the museum’s blog, proofreading books, researching artwork and editing the newsletter. Out of everything, blog post assignments are my favorite because they provide me with consistent writing practice, editorial feedback and creative freedom in determining a unique angle. Journalistic interviews have refined my approach to article-writing and getting to know people through those interviews has been one of the most interesting parts of the internship. Communications director Hillary Brown is always willing to answer questions regarding the industry, which makes the position a great way to learn more about careers in museums and publishing.
Anna Leigh Toth, learning and engagement department intern
I have really enjoyed getting the chance to work behind the scenes at the museum. It has been a really neat experience learning more about the art and the flow of the museum, especially in helping research for tours and events. I had the opportunity to help plan the December Family Day, which I am very excited to see come together. I really appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this amazing place and all I was able to learn from assistant curator of education Kaitlyn Loyd!
Authored by:
Museum Staff
