Institute for Field Education

Student Profiles

Student profiles

 "How in the world do you bring graffiti art into a museum?"
 Art historian indulges her passion for modern art and museums
 Picture working in the photo department of a major museum
 Global art from a French perspective
 The business side of the art world

(See overview page for important information on profiles and lists.)

"How in the world do you bring graffiti art into a museum?"

Name: Nanaho K.
Undergraduate major field(s): Art History, Architecture
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: "Understand French society better. Continue learning about art but from a museum or gallery perspective. Get art-world experience in a different culture and country"
Placement: Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art
Responsibilities as intern:
 Assist in preparations for two full-scale exhibits: "Beatriz Milhazes" and "Graffiti"
 Send out loan requests, produce detailed exhibition checklists
 Generate press dossiers and material for the museum’s development office
 Perform background research history and artists of the graffiti movement
Subject of research: Confronting the questions raised by the idea of exhibiting works of graffiti
And... As part of her research, Nanaho had the occasion to interview well-known graffiti artists and discuss with them the nature of this unique genre.

Art historian indulges her passion for modern art and museums

Name: Julia B
Undergraduate major field(s): French (Art History Minor).
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: Develop an understanding of a different culture while working in an arts institution; Learn how such organizations function, and also understand the role of the arts in French society
Placement: Orangerie Museum, Tuileries Gardens
Responsibilities as intern:
 Assist the Director of Documentation
 Research and preparation for an upcoming exhibition on the collector Paul Guillaume
 Conduct documentary research on individual works in the Museum’s permanent collection
Subject of research: The changing museographic identity of a small, collector’s museum
And... Julia went from this first inter-cultural experience in cultural affairs to a summer spent in Phnom Penh assisting a Cambodian filmmaker, including archiving footage and performing French/English translating and interpreting.

Picture working in the photo department of a major museum

Name: Momoko I.
Undergraduate major field(s): History of Art and Architecture
Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: To intern with a curator of photography in an art museum, observing what he or she does on a day-to-day basis and expanding my knowledge of art history and museum work.
Placement: : Photo department of the Pompidou National Center for Art and Culture
Responsibilities as intern:
 Assist conservation specialist with digitization of a specific collection of photography
 Conduct biographical and background research for the catalogue of upcoming exhibition as well as documentary research on specific works for acquisition
 Work on current exhibit; organization, assistance with publicity campaign
Subject of research: The "Arakian Alibi": Nobuyoshi Ararki, the Shishosetsu and criticism in the West
And... Momoko continues to make her own art, working not only with photo, but also with conceptual and sound pieces as well.

Global art from a French perspective

Name: Jordan C.
Undergraduate major field(s): Modern culture and media
Goals for his Field Study semester: To interact with contemporary art objects in a museum or gallery context, whether by engaging directly in the curatorial process, researching artworks, or planning cultural events and exhibitions.
Placement: Pompidou National Center for Art and Culture
Responsibilities as intern:
 Assist the deputy director in charge of research and globalization in preparation for an exhibit
 Conduct research using the Centre Pompidou’s database to create dossiers on two geographic areas and two time periods
 Use museum resources (including extensive research library) to create detailed dossiers on artistic movements and specific pieces in these areas for use in the preparation of the upcoming exhibit
 Collaborate with other researchers and specialists; share research as part of a team, creating a group discourse
 Assist deputy director with translation and communications for exhibits
Subject of research: The museographic relationship between two exhibits of social sculpture at the Centre Pompidou
And... After his internship with the Centre Pompidou, Jordan was accepted as an intern at the MoMA in New York.

The business side of the art world

Name: Kelly M.
Undergraduate major field(s): Art History
Goals for her Field Study semester: To experience the business side of the art world and be exposed to the diversity of art that travels through a setting like an auction house, gallery or museum.
Placement: Center dedicated to creative dance, music and visual arts
Responsibilities as intern:
 Assist the curator of an exhibit on Colombian artist Francisco Camacho with media and public relations
 Help with the organization of an auction to celebrate the 75 artists the collective had hosted since its founding 10 years before
 Work on the catalogue for the anniversary event, assembling visual documents and correcting and translating texts
 Collect works from the studios of Parisian artists featured in the auction/exhibit; interview artists for material for the catalogue
Subject of research: Political and Economic Content of Work by Artists of the Mains d’Oeuvre Collective
And... Kelly put her experience in her internship to use right away as an intern at a New York contemporary art gallery.
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