I knew that an internship during COVID-19 would be different from anything I’ve experienced before, but I don’t think I expected everything that happene this week.
I met with Jenn the first morning, who introduced me to the only other staff members who are not furloughed: April and Kevin. With only four of us in the office, in addition to the museum being closed, the days are pretty quiet. I could go all day without talking to anyone, except when I knock on Jenn’s door to let her know I’m done for the day. I feel like I’m the only person in the building sometimes. This is a sharp contrast to my internship last summer when we had a large group of 20-something workers and we all became good friends. I knew that COVID meant less people would be around, but I definitely miss the busyness, the conversations, and the laughter.
Another difference from last summer’s internship is that I feel more integrated into the museum this time. Last summer, I was almost lumped in with the other part-time workers, most of which didn’t have aspirations in the museum field. My supervisor controlled my schedule and gave me daily tasks every morning. Here in Irving, however, I feel more in control of the experience I want to gain from this internship. I have my own desk and computer, I work in the same office as the full-time staff, and I’m working on more behind-the-scenes projects. I’ve almost transitioned from a front-facing customer service job to a professional administrative one. And, as much as I love guest interactions, the work I’m doing now is more similar to what I’d be doing with my career after I graduate.
Unfortunately, the IAM’s education director is currently furloughed. She had originally made the plans for what I would be doing during my internship. Without her here, I’ve kind of been making up my own projects as I go along. Jenn has wanted me to focus on Spark!Lab, the interactive childrens’ section of the museum, and how to utilize the activities the best we can during COVID. I brainstormed a list of ideas, and Jenn told me to go for it.
This week, I have focused on creating some social media content for Spark!Lab. I have made countless videos and timelapses of myself experimenting with all of the different activities. I have tested flying machines, crafted a mobile, raced PVC cars, constructed a straw tower, played with gears, created mini circuits, and built a musical marble track. Jenn also got me in contact with a tech guy so that we can edit the videos and make them really cool before we post them on Facebook and Instagram. My goal is to showcase the creativity and cognition that Spark!Lab inspires and to get parents and kids excited to come back when we reopen. (Unfortunately, the free version of WordPress won’t let me upload videos, but I do have a couple of pictures to show you!)
Also, this week I’ve taken the time to really get acquainted with the museum space. I’ve spent a few hours walking around the exhibits. The museum is on the smaller side, so I’ve been able to immerse myself more in the material rather than just skimming. The permanent exhibit showcases the history of Irving, and there is also a temporary exhibit with Indian American art and textiles. In addition to the exhibits on-site, the museum oversees two historical homes in the areas. Kevin, the archival coordinator, took me on tours of both. The first is the Ruth Paine house, where Lee Harvey Oswald was living when he assassinated John F Kennedy. In the house, they had projected holograms onto plexiglass in different rooms to show videos of the people that lived in the home. They looked almost like ghosts, and I thought it was a cool way to bring history to life. The second historical home is in Bear Creek, the African American community when Irving was founded. The building had been transformed into a Black history museum, especially related to Irving and the Dallas area. I enjoyed how localized it was. They even had an exhibit on Juanita Craft, the Dallas NAACP activist, who I knew from her collection in the Harry Ransom Center. 😉
Finally, a major thing that happened this week is that Jenn and I sat down and had a serious talk about what the state of the museum industry will be for the next few years. From her experience working in a museum during and after the 2008 recession, she’s predicting that museums are going to take a long time to recover from COVID. She also told me that museum educators are some of the first people to get laid off, which is bad news for me. I told her about my post-graduation plans, and she doesn’t think it’s a good idea for me to go straight to grad school for museum studies. I’d already been leaning that direction anyway, so her advice is reassurance that I’m making the right decision for myself. We both think it might be a good idea to get my alternative certification and become a teacher for a while. That way, I can get more education experience while I wait for the right time to transition into museums or get my Master’s. Even though it was a very sobering conversation, I’m glad that Jenn took the time to talk to me about it. She provided the perspective I needed to feel confident in my plans.
So, as you can see, I had an eventful week, and I’m sure that I have another one ahead of me. Regardless, I’m just so happy to have this opportunity!
Educated and Innovative 