During my semester as a public relations intern at the Georgia Museum of Art, I have watched the 500-piece “Mummy Mysteries” jigsaw puzzle in the office workroom transform from a nothing more than a jumble of pieces into a nearly finished masterpiece.
From my perch at the intern desk, I learned that putting together these puzzles is something of a tradition for staff members in the office. I also learned about exciting new exhibitions, saw diligent preparation for educational events, and heard coworkers exchange congratulations for their outstanding achievements. Above all else, from my spot at the intern desk, I learned what it means to work in public relations for the official art museum of the state of Georgia.
As a journalism student at the University of Georgia, I applied for the museum’s public relations internship in search of career exploration and hands on communications experience. I was ecstatic to land the position and from my very first day here, when I toured the beautiful galleries and behind-the-scenes museum storage, I have had opportunities to achieve this initial goal and much more.
I spend my days in the office writing press releases about museum happenings, putting together blog posts featuring key faces of the museum, filming for promotional content and even helping to organize the Fall Museum Mix. My appreciation for the arts has deepened as I have written about everything from the history of Caravaggio to the cultural significance of Georgia political silver.
Throughout all of this, the most educational part of working at the museum was being fully trusted to do the work I was given from start to finish. The challenge to take an initial assignment and do research, interview sources, and condense background information into a finished piece taught me invaluable professional writing skills. I loved having this autonomy and I grew immensely from it. Also, seeing this work published on the museum website feels pretty great!
My fellow public relations intern Aramide Amusat had a wonderful experience as well. She said, “I’m really honored to have gotten this position at the museum because it’s something not a lot of people get to experience. I tell people I work in the public relations department at the Georgia Museum of Art and they’re immediately intrigued. This position has helped deepen my understanding and appreciation of art in its various forms and actually see what goes into exhibitions and art pieces. It really makes me admire how much hard work happens behind-the-scenes and all the dedicated people you don’t always get to see.”
Another public relations intern, Keyonna Brannam, said, “Working here has made me a better reader and writer; I have to grasp other people’s stories in order to write about them, so I think that I, by osmosis, learned a lot from being here.”
When I first started as an intern, I was mainly looking to explore my career options, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how much more this job has offered me. I experienced the daily operations of a public relations professional, learned from many mentors in the arts and saw how deeply this museum impacts the Athens community.
So, whether you are already a museum buff or simply want to learn more, I highly encourage you to apply to be a museum intern. With positions in public relations, publications, education, and more, there is a world of opportunity awaiting you along with countless role models to learn from. And, it just might help you understand how you fit into the jigsaw puzzle that is your career path a bit better, like it did for me.
By Andrea Giordano
