Blog 1: What did you learn from your first week at your internship? Did anything surprise you? Who did you meet and what do they do? Did you engage in any code switching?
As a first time intern, one would suspect for me to be very nervous and feel a little intimidated. Personally, excitement and amazement were the prominent feelings I felt on my first day of my internship at the Denver Art Museum. As I entered the doors, I received a warm welcome from my sponsor Joann and the security guard , whom were both very easy to talk to. Along with meeting my sponsor and security guard, I was able to meet two interns , who were both college students. I was surprised at the fact that I was the only high school student in this internship , but it felt like an honor since I was given this opportunity as a senior in high school. After meeting the other interns, Joann introduced me to two of head leaders of the department of Learning and Engagement, who were Lindsey and Natalie. It was incredible how many people I met on my first day, and I am excited to meet new people along the way. While meeting these people, I did not experience any code switching and was able to be myself. I did not have to change my tone of voice or my actions in anyway in order to please a person or crowd . After meeting many others, Joann gave me a silver name tag that had my name on it , and let me just say I felt very official while wearing it .
Before my internship , I have never been to the Denver Art Museum, but I have always heard about the intriguing exhibits. Because I have never visited the museum, my sponsor gave me a tour of the museum. While touring the museum, I was surprised at how the museum was very family oriented. I expected many of the exhibits to only attract an older crowd, but in every exhibit there was activities for the whole family to engage in. From sewing to making postcards, the Denver Art Museum is a place for everyone. Throughout the tour, I was told and shown of the many projects I could work on such as Create -n- takes and many other projects for families.
On the first days of my internship, I was able to learn a lot about the environment I am going to be interning at. At the Museum everything the museum offers and displays to the crowd is only created through help and support of a large network of people. The activities and exhibits were not created with the strength of one person, but of multiple people. I learned that in order for something to be successful there needs to be the help of many others. On a personal level , I learned that I need to build connections with the people around me in order for me to succeed at this internship.
Blog #2 January 22nd, 2017
Prompt: What was the best thing that happened this week at your internship? How did it make you feel? What else makes you excited about your internship?
Overall, this week at my internship I have learned a lot about the art found in the museum and about the people around me. In every exhibit in the museum , there is a different culture being displayed. The exhibits allow me to learn more about the Pre-Colombian, Native American, European, and Asian cultures. Before visiting the Denver Art Museum, I knew a lot about each of the cultures being displayed, but I was able to learn more about the art they created. Being able to see the different art work was the best thing I experienced this week. Along with the art, I was able to see the different protests occurring at Downtown. A little protest against the North Dakota pipeline occurred outside the museum , which was amazing to see because people were fighting for something they believe in. Right now in the Family Center , there are many pieces of art created by high school students that talk about the different stereotypes, and the racism occurring the U.S. today , which was very powerful. One of the paintings was of two girls one was African American and the other girl was white. Both of the girls were combining each other’s hair. The African American girl had thicker hair than the white girl had straight smooth hair. The hair of each girl symbolizes their life in America , which the white girl is said to have a easier life full of opportunities than the life of an African American girl. Being able to see the acceptance of cultural differences in the museum is very special especially in this time where there is division.
Blog 3 : How do your actions affect your workplace? Do you contribute positively? How do your co-workers actions affect your internship? Which co-workers are you connecting with?
At the Denver Art Museum everyone has their own task to do and everyone depends on the action of others as well. As an intern, if I complete an action or not, it can affect the effectiveness of certain activities and the museum itself. One of my tasks is rounds, which is to go around the whole museum and see if all the art activities have enough supplies. If I fail to complete such tasks, then one area of the museum will not attract the visitors. Throughout my time here at the internship, I have never complained about certain tasks and just do what is told. If I have an idea about a certain art activity, then I will more than likely offer my opinion, but only if my opinion is useful and positive. It is easy to be positive in my working environment because of the people that surround me. The other interns and my sponsor are very nice and committed to doing their best, which their actions send positive vibes throughout the whole environment. In the couple of weeks I have attended my internship I have meet many different interns, but I haven’t really been able to connect them. Everyone is given a certain task , which when one arrives they usually start doing. On the other hand , I have really been able to connect with my sponsor Joann. She is really easy to talk to. Joann has tried really hard to let me work on art projects instead of just organizing and cleaning areas. This Saturday she showed me one of the activities the museum does which is storytelling . I was able to see how this lady told a story through art. Overall, Joann has allowed to learn more about the art found in the museum.
Blog 4 : Free style prompt. What does a casual day look like at your internship?
A casual day at my internship consists of many different daily tasks. For my internship I come in on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 5, then on Sundays from 9:30 to 12:30. On typical Wednesday I usually come in and check in with my sponsor Joann to see what she wants me to do for the day. Right now, I’m working with my sponsor to create a project for the toddlers play date, which revolves around the idea of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortileges. On Sundays and Wednesdays I dedicate some of my time to prototyping the activity that will be used for the activity. The prototyping room is like a heaven for any creative person because there is everything one come dream of. Whenever I enter into that room, I get really excited and child in me comes out. The prototyping usually occurs on Sundays, but sometimes on Wednesdays as well. On Wednesdays and Sundays I compete rounds. Rounds are when someone has to go around the whole art museum and make sure that the activities in each art exhibit has enough supplies and are organized. Rounds are pretty time consuming, but it’s a good way for me to familiarize myself with the museum and communicate with the visitors. On Sundays many different events occur like storytelling or theater plays. Yesterday, an event called Foxy and Shmoxy: Art Detectives was occurring, so I helped my sponsor set up for the play. During the play, I took photos for my sponsor, so she can post them on the art page. After both show times , I helped my sponsor clean up the area where the play took place. Overall, some days are repetitive, but my sponsor tries to make sure there’s time for me to work on my art project
Blog 5: How do you feel like your internship is going so far? What are the highlights and the “low-lights” ? Do you feel like you are making connections with your co-workers ? What can you do to improve your experience?
Interning at the Denver Art Museum has been really interesting and entertaining. There are many events that occur at the museum that make my experience there really amusing. At my internship the highlights would have to be helping out with different family events and working on my project. I have helped out with story time and different plays at the museum. I enjoy seeing how children are able to interact with the art and make different types of art. The best part about interning at the museum is just being able to see the amazing art in every art exhibit. I have to say the Venice art exhibit is amazing. Traveling is one of my top goals in life, so visiting this art exhibit gives me a sense of the Italian culture that I soon want to experience when I start traveling. The reason I am able to enjoy all of this is because of my sponsor. Joann is pretty amazing, and she always makes sure that I am able to make art instead of other things. Some “low-lights” would have to be when visitors at the museum do not respect the space. Many visitors who have children aren’t considerate of the environment around them, so they let their children do whatever they want. Some children make a huge mess in one area and then another huge mess in a different area and the parents do not care. While interning, I haven’t been able to create any connections with my co-workers except for one girl. Everyone is assigned their own task, so everyone focuses on their task instead of socializing. On the other hand, I have communicated a lot with a girl from DU, and have discussed my future college plans with her. In order to improve my experience here at the art museum I need to create more connections with the other interns.
Blog 6: How do people at work treat you ? How does it make you feel? If you have an intern one day, will you treat them the same way? What have you learned so far from your co-workers and sponsor ?
At the Denver Art Museum my sponsor and my co-workers treat me with respect. I have not had any experiences where I was disrespected or looked down upon. My sponsor treats me the same as the other interns. Before interning at the museum, I thought that I was going to be looked down upon because I was still in high school, but that was not the case. If anything , I am treated as if I am a real employee at the museum . The way I am treated makes me feel like I am equal and not viewed as “little.” My sponsor has the same expectations for every other employee and intern at the museum. My sponsor and I both know that I am fully capable of doing any task that is assigned to me at the museum. If I were to have an intern in the future, I would treat them the same way my sponsor treats me. Joann never looks down upon me and believes that I am capable of doing any task she gives me. If I were to have an intern , I would allow them to do things that relate to their interests. In many internships the interns are told to do tasks that nobody wants, which are cleaning and organizing, but I believe in order for someone to identify their interest they need to be given a chance to explore it in depth. My sponsor Joann and my co-workers have taught me that building connections all over the place will help me in the future. Joann told me that this internship is a start to building connections because the people I meet here will benefit me in the long run.
Blog question #7: What is the difference between working on personal art projects and working in a creative business? What have you learned about working in a creative business?
Throughout my time at my internship, I have realized there is a difference between personally working on a creative project and actually working with a creative business. When one works on a personal project, they tend to use their creative side of the brain, but when it comes to business, people use a logical and practical mindset. This does not mean that one does not use their creative mind in business. I mean one can find creative ways to make their business stand out, but not in the terms of art. While interning at the Denver Art Museum, I have had a first-hand experience to what it means to work on a personal project compared to working in a creative business. When working on a creative project, I am able to let my imagination run wild , and test different kinds of art styles. Working on my personal art project actually requires me to make art. Interning at a Denver Art Museum is a combination or making art and other duties that are not related to art. As an intern, I help with different art activities, but at the same time I help maintain a clean and organized atmosphere in the every art exhibit. One important thing I have learned about working in a creative business is that most of the activities and art made in the business is made to fit the needs of the customers instead of personally making the art that reflects one’s emotions. Art is known to display one’s personal emotions and to send out a message, but here at the Art Museum we make art that needs to fit certain requirements. I mean this is perfectly understandable for the museum because they have to take in account the certain age group. Since I am working in the family and learning department, a lot of the art work I have to do needs to fit the play date theme and the age group, but at the same time I am able to put a twist to it. At the end of the day everything balances out to the point where I am able to make my own art and express myself.
Blog Question #8
How is your internship project going? Describe the progress of your project. How did the conversation about your project go with your sponsor? Did they have good insights into how improve or expand the project? How does your project bridge what you do at your internship and what you like to create for yourself? Has your relationship with your sponsor evolved as you have engaged in a creative dialogue about your project? Are there any challenges you are experiencing with planning or doing your project?
For my internship project there has been a lot of progression. I have been working on this project for quite some time because it’s going to be used in the toddler’s April play date. At my internship I am not focusing on one particular project, but multiple because the art projects are going to be used for different events for the visitors. My sponsor and I have been working on this project for a couple of months, which is a rattle that symbolizes one of the artifacts found in the Pre-Columbian exhibit, which showcases the different art found from tribes in South America. In the beginning my sponsor wanted me to prototype an object that would include animal features, and as well as musical aspects. Since the art project is surrounded around Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortileges, I had to find a way to make the object fit the theme, but also to make sure it was compatible with the toddler ages. I made a prototype and Joann loved it, but she wanted me to find a way to make the wings move and to also create an animal head to the object. I used her feedback to create an animal head, and I also found a way to make the wings move. As of today, I have finished this project, and I doing some more research on the artifact, as well as the opera in order to write more about the different aspects of the project. I am now starting to prototype for a different art project the encompasses the Latino culture. The project I completed connects with the tasks I complete here at the Denver Art Museum. Completing and creating art projects are some of the tasks I have to complete at the Learning and Family department. My sponsor Joann really wants me to focus on making art instead of other non- related art things. On the basis of whether my project encompass something I would create for myself, I have to say yes and no. I like the history behind the art project, but I would have liked to create something that was in my area of interest. The relationship between my sponsor and I has really strengthened since the initiation of the art project. Every time I go to the museum, Joann checks in with me and we discuss how the project is going. Since I did finish my first art project, I have to say that the most challenging part was just trying to design the project for the age group. Overall, I have to say that this project was a great way to familiarize myself with this area of the department, but I am very excited to start the next project that encompasses the Latino culture.
Blog 9: What have you seen or experienced in your internship that has inspired you the most on your artistic journey ? Has this experience changed your artistic ambitions? How ?
The art relating to different cultures have impacted me the most at my internship at the Denver Art Museum. Every art found in the museum has a certain message to convey to the audience. May it be a call for change or just a way to allude to the past to help shape a better future. In the contemporary art exhibit there are different art pieces that display the problems America has faced or is facing. Every art exhibit found in the museum is preserving a culture that has vanish or is targeted. In the Native American exhibit , there are many different art pieces that explain the horrific events they experience in America, and how they are dealing with their identity. The art found in every exhibit holds a history that has shaped the society we live in today. As an artist and musician, I seek to create a change in the society where famine, racism, and war are still prominent. Art speaks louder than words in our society. I want to utilize my artistic and creative mentality throughout my college journey and also in my political career. As a incoming college freshman, I plan to major in International Affairs and then work at the United Nations to find solutions to education and global poverty. I’m not planning on majoring in any area of art, but I plan to create a change in an environment even if it’s not with art. Art will continue to influence me and my perspectives in life.
Blog10: Has this experience been a rewarding one for you? Why or Why not? How has the reality of your internship matched or contrasted with your expectations? What is the most important learning you did during your internship?
This internship was very beneficial for me to experience because I learned more about the reality of the workforce. I learned how important communication is and how communication can affect the effectiveness of the internship. Communication is such an important part of this internship. I walked into this internship wanting to create art that would describe and display the person I am, but that was not the case artistically. I did art that had boundaries and was dedicated for a certain age group, but I still enjoyed the process and research I did in order to create the activities. That is not to say that I’m not thankful for this internship because I am. I learned more about the history of the art and how important art is for our society. I learned so much about teamwork and how a large organization like the Denver Art Museum works together to create an environment that the visitors will definitely enjoy. A valuable lesson I have learned from interning at the museum is that it takes the help of many to be successful. While interning at the museum, I learned that the people you meet and make connections with are so important in your career because you can stem off of each other and learn from each other. Learning how to work with others and how to be successful in a working environment is so essential when one enters the workforce. I am truly honored that I was given the opportunity to intern here as a high school senior.