Hometown: West Bloomfield, MI
Major and class standing: Art History and Visual Culture, Class of 2024
LinkedIn: Laine Lord
Where you interned: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY
What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
Adrienne Arsht Intern, Curatorial Intern within the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing.
How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
Throughout last school year, I applied to over 15 art museum internship programs across the nation. In order to prepare myself to be a competitive candidate, I utilized MSU CAL resources such as attending resume workshops.
What did your daily routine include?
My daily routine this past summer was waking up, walking through Central Park to The Met, grabbing a coffee, and heading up to my supervisor’s office. Once I was in my department, I was given a few tasks for the day and started on those right away. A few of my tasks included gathering and scanning photographs and books, researching and reading, and compiling bibliographies. After working for a few hours, I would join other Met interns for lunch. Afterward, I would love to spend a little bit of time walking around the museum and enjoying the art. Following my lunch break, I would return to work, and continue with my tasks for a few more hours before I packed up to head home.
Your favorite experience from the internship?
Looking back on my summer, I would say that my favorite experience was getting one-on-one lunches and coffees with full-time museum staff. Throughout my 10-weeks, I scheduled meetings with individuals who worked in a plethora of departments. Within these meetings, I would ask them about their career trajectories and their current positions. These casual interviews gave me incredible insight on the many interesting people and positions at The Met!
What was your least favorite part of the internship?
My least favorite part of my internship was the fact that I only worked 14 hours a week. Since I had such a valuable experience and learned so much, I wish I could have spent more hours there per week.
What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
By working on a variety of projects this summer, my research skills strengthened and my confidence working in an office setting soared. Additionally, I was able to learn so much about African art and what it is like working as a curator in an art museum.
What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
As a result of my internship, I learned how many opportunities there are working in museums! There are so many essential departments and roles working in museums that I was so unaware of before this internship. I met so many incredible individuals with such unique academic backgrounds, and who have such interesting jobs.
What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?
My advice for other students seeking out internship opportunities is to shoot for the stars and to apply to programs anywhere and everywhere you desire. Never in a million years did I think I would have been accepted to work at The Met, but I worked hard on my application and decided to take the leap and apply. All you need is one yes!
