University of Georgia students who work as paid interns and student workers at the Georgia Museum of Art are essential to the museum’s everyday operations, filling a variety of hands-on roles across the curatorial, education, communications, registration, development and preparation departments. Here’s what some of our interns had to say about their favorite learning experiences during the 2026 spring semester.
Cullen Doyle, Daura Center graduate intern
As the Daura Center graduate intern at the Georgia Museum of Art, I have been able to engage with a great range of objects from the European tradition. Over the past year, I have researched, maintained and improved the Daura archive, a multilingual repository of letters, works and primary sources related to the Catalan-American artist Pierre Daura. This has included accessioning materials, updating the finding aid and reproducing material. Through this work, I became familiar with primary source research and proper archival practices. In the curatorial aspect of my role, I assisted with executing exhibitions, such as “Brilliant Exiles” and the traveling show “Cercle et Carré.” I also helped in writing interpretive texts for these projects and for the reinstallation of the contemporary gallery. It has been a joy to work under Dr. Damiano, and I am very thankful for this experience!
Lydia Hodges, public relations intern
This semester I have been working as a public relations intern, specifically working on photo and video content for the museum’s social media channels. I have loved getting to experience the museum from a behind-the-scenes perspective. I have had the opportunity to hear directly from artists about their work and what inspires them, which has definitely been a highlight. I really appreciate both the creative freedom and helpful feedback that my supervisors, Hillary Brown and Michael Lachowski, have given me. I am thankful that they have placed trust in me to complete projects for the museum’s social media, since that is such an important asset in today’s world for organizations like ours. I have refined my video editing skills, building on prior experience, and I know this will serve me well in the future. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow in my field, digital marketing, in such a rich, beautiful environment. The Georgia Museum of Art is so special, and I will continue to champion it. Thank you for an amazing semester!
Erin Ideker, exhibition design intern
This past semester I continued my role as an exhibition design intern. I assisted with installations for exhibitions including “We, Too, Are Made of Wonders” and “Shacks, Stories and Spirit: Beverly Buchanan’s Art of Home.” It was very fulfilling to see projects through from the design phase to installation. I loved continuing to work with the wonderful staff at the museum, especially Elizabeth Marable, Todd Rivers, Robert Russell and Larry Forte in the exhibitions department. I appreciate everyone for sharing their knowledge and I am grateful that I was able to learn so many new skills in my last semester of college.
Ivy Kolkana, modern and contemporary art curatorial intern
Being the modern and contemporary art curatorial intern has been such a rewarding experience. I was able to research and deliver a Student Spotlight gallery talk, which is grounded in independent research, on artists Eleanor Himmelfarb and Berenice Abbott. My talk emphasized artists who have been historically underrepresented or overlooked, such as Himmelfarb, whose work has often been eclipsed by her husband’s prominence. By situating these artists both within and beyond the traditional art historical canon, I was able to expand interpretive narratives and encourage audiences to reconsider the structures that shape visibility, authorship and artistic value. I have been very proud of all the gallery labels I’ve assisted in researching and my contribution to the spring rotation of the photographer wall in the Byrnece Purcell Knox Swanson Gallery. I am so grateful for all the lovely staff at the museum, especially my supervisor, Kathryn Hill, who has given me more career guidance and inspiration than I could have asked for.
Jisu Stanfield, publications intern
The publications internship exposed me to several different types of work, which was so helpful for narrowing down a future career. I got to experiment with different writing styles from press releases to articles to Instagram slideshows. Editorial duties gave me experience with proofreading using different styles. Overall, the internship helped me gain experience in several different fields, which was crucial for narrowing down what sort of job I want in the future. Lastly, the office work culture is very supportive. Full-timers are always willing to help, and you can tell they love their student interns!
Chloe Toll, learning and engagement department intern
Interning at the Georgia Museum of Art with Kaitlyn Loyd and the learning and engagement department has really been a great experience. I got my first introduction to all of the workings of museum education, and I loved it. I am excited to keep pursuing museum education and doing UGA’s certificate program in museum studies. This semester, I got to see all of the behind-the-scenes operations and hard work that goes into each program and event. I even got to plan April’s Family Day, and it was such a rewarding experience to watch it all come together. I loved seeing the impact that the learning and engagement department has on each person and family that visits the museum. As a future art educator, I can’t wait to use everything I’ve learned during this internship in my own classroom.
Authored by:
Museum Staff
