Hello!
I have had some truly outstanding interns work for me, so here are my two
cents.  Granted, I work in development, which pays more and offers more
opportunities than, for example, curatorial.  However --

Internships, paid or unpaid, can be a great thing IF the host
institution is able to offer the intern something meaningful to do and learn,
at least part of the time.  While it's true that I really need someone
willing to put stamps on envelopes and file,  that alone is not a meaningful
internship.  Our museum can pay only a pittance, so in exchange I try to
offer the intern the opportunity to design and complete a project that is
important to me and to the museum.  For example, my most recent intern (who
worked for two months without pay, and three months with) designed a new and
highly successful corporate membership program for me, and did her share of
the drudgery too.   On the subject in general, here's what I think:

1. If you accept interns: you should offer the intern the opportunity to
participate fully in an important project in addition to guarding, filing,
and the like.  What a waste to have a bright, capable person stand at the
xerox machine all day long and nothing else! Then, when an intern performs
well, it's our obligation to help him/her get a job, if possible.   Managing
interns takes a lot of forethought and supervision, but I've certainly
enjoyed excellent results.

2.  Potential interns: consider working for a smaller, lesser-known
institution.  You may be given more responsibility than you would at a
"prestigious" place.  The intern I mentioned above completed her job here,
moved to New York, and landed a mid-level development job at MOMA based on
her experience here.  In development at least, what you do as an intern is as
important as where you did your internship.

Anyway - I got started as an intern too, and I remember how hard it was.
Good luck to all of you out there!


CHT



Claire Holman Thompson
Director of Development
Bayly Art Museum
University of Virginia
(804)924-4043
FAX (804)924-6321
> e-mail [log in to unmask]



Claire Holman Thompson
Director of Development
Bayly Art Museum
(804)924-4043
FAX (804)924-6321
e-mail [log in to unmask]