Fall 2018 Art History/Museum Studies Student Interns

Vania Ryan
In an attempt to gather more information on both the bequest and life of Margaret (Marmie) Hess, I will formulate the foundation of a research plan. The research plan will act as a jumping off point for students, faculty, community members, or any other persons who may take interest in the life and artworks gifted by Margaret Hess. The research plan may consist of contact information of those who were connected to Marmie and willing to share information on both her life as well as her interests, specifically in regards to the artwork she acquired throughout her life. The research plan may also contain interviews that I conduct with persons who were connected to Marmie, as well as interviews conducted with persons who are willing to offer information in regards to artworks within the collection, this may or may not include oral histories connected to some of the indigenous artworks within the collection. In an attempt to obtain oral histories, I may draft an ethics proposal that can be used in future research regarding other artworks within the collection. Much of my research will consist of familiarizing myself with the gift as well as gathering information using the
U of C and U of L archive, as well as any available staff and faculty who have researched the gift. Lastly, I will maintain a weekly reflection journal that will aid in a mid semester goal evaluation/adjustment that can be made available to students, faculty, community members, or any other persons if they so desire.

I hope to familiarize myself with archival research and apply this knowledge to future research within a masters program. The drafting of an ethics proposal for an oral history will provide me with a foundation of how to properly construct a proposal as well as act as a resource for those doing future research on the gift. I hope to make lasting connections with those who are willing to participate in the interview process in order to gain information that I can apply to the research plan and any future scenarios or opportunities that I may find myself. Lastly, I am looking forward to the challenges that come along with an independent study, such as: time management, independence, decision making, proposal drafting, interviewing, making connections, and deep research. I intend to soak up as much knowledge as possible in order to gain a foundation in research that can applied to a masters program in the near future.

Jaylyn Potts
This semester I will be doing my first internship at the Galt Museum and Archives. I will be working with the Museum Educator, Ashley Henrickson, and I will be assisting her in developing and reshaping the pre-existing school programs. With a significant amount of my knowledge coming from in-class lectures and textbook readings, I am excited to finally be able to extend my knowledge outside of the classroom. While it seems like a daunting task to be responsible for creating new programs and making changes to pre-existing ones, I am eager to have the freedom to bring a new perspective to a museum. Ashley has mentioned that I will be spending time in the archives doing research and building upon the outdated programs, and I am excited for the independence of my role. This semester, my goal is to work on and improve my public speaking skills. Because I will often be assisting Ashley in the classroom, I truly believe that I will learn the dos and don’ts of public speaking quite quickly in front of a young audience. After I graduate from the University, my intention has always been to work in an art gallery, and I have not given serious thought to working in a museum; therefore, my goal is to be as open-minded and receptive as I can in order to get as much out of the internship as possible. I am looking forward to becoming more familiar with the programs and the archives at the Galt, and I believe being placed in a museum rather than in an art gallery will push me out of my comfort zone and undoubtedly help me move forward in my Art History and Museum Studies degree.