The following article was written by Sammi Digman, Rahr-West Art Museum Summer Intern as a part of the museum’s Art Forward series.
The internship program through the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities at the Rahr West Art is a valuable resource for students, institutions and the surrounding community. My time at the museum has been both so interesting and insightful. I am a senior at St. Norbert College pursuing a degree in the arts with a concentration in both graphic design and fine arts. I am very passionate when it comes to learning about art and creating it. I especially love art history and street photography, they kind of go hand in hand in my mind. Capturing wonderful little moments of time forever. Which is why one of my favorites things to do is travel to a new place, take photos of my surroundings and how people inhabit them. Allowing me to appreciate the whole experience.
My internship has been filled with new experiences. Which is exactly what I hoped for when I applied for this opportunity. I was in search of art related work experience to expand my skillset and explore as many different creative avenues as I could, to allow me the space and time to figure out what I truly enjoy doing and what I do not. Some of the useful tasks I have undertaken: collections work as well as, assisting in art education classes, exhibitions, and design work.
Much of my time has been spent hanging out in the basement, which is home to collections. This space holds pottery, sculptures, paintings and framed art work. My job was to photograph and document hundreds of works of art in the collection. I then labeled, organized, and then reentered them into the museums system to ensure for a more efficient and accurate space. I learned a great amount about handling artwork, photographing framed pieces with glass (which can be pretty tricky), and storing art work effectively. I even got to photograph a Picasso piece and an O’Keeffe painting! I also learned a lot about the “behind the scenes” and innerworkings of an art museum. I now better understand the accession and deaccession processes, i.e., -which is how the artwork becomes a part of the museum’s collection. I was also able to attend board meetings to better understand the administrative side of museum work.
In the children’s art education classes I assisted in prepping materials for class, as well as the cleanup. I also helped them make their projects in anyway way I could, whether it be giving some helpful tips and encouragement. Or saving the day by making a collaborative work of art when they are very upset about their own piece.
Finally, I was able to assist with the exhibitions. I created labels that provided key information about the artist and artwork, to appear with the pieces in the museum as well as on social media. I unpacked artwork form crates, filled out condition reports about various pieces, and assisted in hanging and placement within the museum’s exhibitions. So, the artwork and experience can be enjoyed by many.
Overall, I have learned more than I anticipated working at the Rahr West Art Museum. It has been a wonderful environment to be exposed to new things and cultivate my skills. Furthermore, its been a great experience and I am so grateful that I had this opportunity.
