Eva Gratta '06
Old Greenwich, CT
Art History Major
Guggenheim Museum, New York
I worked on a number of projects at the photography and permissions department. As with most internships I did my share of filling but I also had other more meaningful experiences. For example I helped curators and outside institutions locate images as well as provide relevant exhibition information. I prepared and organized images of the Guggenheim Fifth Avenue building dating from its original construction in anticipation of renovations that are to be made in the coming months. Most of my work was concerned with the museum’s ongoing effort to digitize their collection. I prepared 300 new images for addition to The Museum System as well as reviewed and corrected existing files accordingly. I also participated in weekly museum culture seminars that included scholarly lectures, talks with museum officials and meetings with artists.
The highlight of the internship was definitely the weekly museum culture seminar. The education department did a superb job of planning these activities which included among other things, a mock auction at Sotheby’s, a meeting with Jeanne Claude and Christo, as well as a meeting with the Guggenheim’s controversial director Tom Krens. Through these seminars the museum sought to give interns ideas for career options as well as connections for the future. I also especially enjoyed these seminars as it fostered a sense of friendship among the interns.
This internship has served to focus my career goals. I know that Museum work is definitely an option for my future but I am not necessarily interested in working in a photography department. My newly found knowledge of the workings of a museum has better allowed me to have some conception of where I would fit into that scheme. Therefore this internship continues to be completely relevant and beneficial to my career goals. I think it is important to mention that an alumna played an important role in this internship. Although she was on maternity leave for most of my stay it was an alumna, Kim Bush, who interviewed me and was responsible for giving me the job.
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