It's always a bit harder to go back on your second day of work and come away feeling the same intensity and energy that you feel after that first entrance into a new job. However, today was a different experience for me, as my main supervisor was out of the office for the day. I was sent to do most of my work on my own, and this freedom with responsibility was quite liberating. I spent quite some time in the main Marketing office with co-workers Jennifer and Vanessa, getting data and such ready for release to important collecting agencies, putting together press files, and submitting email information for our online database.
I had to wake up a bit early to head into work today, since we had an External Affairs meeting at 9:30 AM with the complete Marketing/Communications/Development staff. It was the first official Smithsonian Institution meeting that I had the chance to attend. What a crazy event! There is so much to do at this point in time, as January is one of the museum's most busy months. Things begin to get much crazier and the amount of work greatly increases following the holidays, so I really have entered at a time when an extra hand is a great resource. I am really pleased with the work I have been doing thus far, as everyone with whom I've interacted seems genuinely pleased and appreciative of my work and time there.
I've been put on the staff list for running the Matthew Barney event I described yesterday. There aren't that many staff coming, and quite frankly, I'm afraid that it is going to be a complete fiasco tomorrow. Here's the situation-- we have the capacity to hold 272 people, in seats, in our auditorium. We have reserved about 22 seats for press, 25 or so for donors, 50 for members, and then a bit less than 50 for staff, docents, and the curators. Basically, we are going to have about 100 or maybe even fewer tickets left for the general public (the math works out somehow... I know I'm missing some reserved ticket holders), which is a huge detriment to our program. One of the important facets of our mission is to bring contemporary and thought-provoking art into the public realm, so by limiting the spaces for public attendance, we're in effect partially going against our philosophy. However, it's a bit more complicated, in that Matthew Barney is an incredibly important and influential figure, but the constraints of the program do not allow us to outsource it to another location. We're expecting it to be a stressful occasion, but I'm really not too worried about it. It'll give me a sense of these sorts of programs and allow me a chance to get my feet more grounded underneath myself.
I'm off in a few minutes to attend a W&M reception, held by President Gene Nichol in honor of certain board members and their distinguished service. Supposedly, Nichol will mention us and our program in some capacity, so it should be well worth it. Also, it's supposedly rife with "heavy hors d'oeuvres" (I heard someone mention crabcakes...) and I have a feeling it will be a great networking opportunity to meet alumni. So, all in all a great start to this packed week!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
First Day
I have decided to start this blog to more fully document my time in Washington, DC over this coming semester. I am participating in the William & Mary in Washington Program for the Spring Semester. It is a program that takes 14-18 W&M students, mostly Juniors and Seniors, and places them in DC to live, work, and learn over the course of a 16 week period. One takes 2 classes and holds an internship for 32-35 hours a week. These internships are not secure at the beginning of the program, so one must find them, apply for them, and succeed in securing one without the help of school.
This spring, I am working as an intern for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in the Marketing and Communications Department. I am working under the supervision of Gabriel Einsohn, the Marketing/Communications Specialist at the Museum. As she explained to me during my brief orientation this morning, the Hirshhorn's staff of 50 is rather small in comparison to many museums around DC. For example, the National Gallery has a staff of 30 people who plan, arrange, coordinate, and execute all the things that need to be done with the press. She is in charge of basically everything with which these 30 people are involved, so I feel I will have the unique opportunity to really provide considerable help and hold significant responsibility.
Within three hours of being at the Museum, I was told that I will have the wonderful chance to attend a lecture and conversation that the Hirshhorn is holding with innovative and experimental contemporary artist Matthew Barney. It is this Wednesday night, and there are only 272 seats available, for which half are already accounted (Hirshhorn staff, board members, distinctive donors, and press). Matthew Barney is most well known for his Cremaster Cycle film series, an epic collection that looks at the intimate and intriguing processes of creation. Most recently, he put out the Drawing Restraint 9 film and accompanying art exhibition. Many will know this film as the collaboration with his long-time partner Björk (they have a child together, Ísadóra), for which she contributed the fairly well received soundtrack (her second soundtrack offering in her musical career). I can't wait to be a part of this discussion-- he is a fairly influential and important figure in the past 20 years in the art and film world. You can find more about the talk here.
A big part of this job will be getting increasingly familiar with the vernacular surrounding modern, post modern and contemporary art. A task that I've taken up is I will try and bring home 2-3 art journals, magazines, or publications so that I can begin to read and recognize many of the buzzwords, big exhibitions opening, and trends in the art world. This is going to be quite a challenge for me, as I have never taken any art or art history classes in this time period or type of art, but I feel through continual immersion and thorough reading and investigation that I may begin to understand the conventions and energy behind contemporary art. I picked up the December issues of Art in America and ARTnews in hopes to work with fairly recent news and ideas.
So begins this exciting trip into a world with which I am quite unfamiliar. It should provide quite an exhilarating time!
This spring, I am working as an intern for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in the Marketing and Communications Department. I am working under the supervision of Gabriel Einsohn, the Marketing/Communications Specialist at the Museum. As she explained to me during my brief orientation this morning, the Hirshhorn's staff of 50 is rather small in comparison to many museums around DC. For example, the National Gallery has a staff of 30 people who plan, arrange, coordinate, and execute all the things that need to be done with the press. She is in charge of basically everything with which these 30 people are involved, so I feel I will have the unique opportunity to really provide considerable help and hold significant responsibility.
Within three hours of being at the Museum, I was told that I will have the wonderful chance to attend a lecture and conversation that the Hirshhorn is holding with innovative and experimental contemporary artist Matthew Barney. It is this Wednesday night, and there are only 272 seats available, for which half are already accounted (Hirshhorn staff, board members, distinctive donors, and press). Matthew Barney is most well known for his Cremaster Cycle film series, an epic collection that looks at the intimate and intriguing processes of creation. Most recently, he put out the Drawing Restraint 9 film and accompanying art exhibition. Many will know this film as the collaboration with his long-time partner Björk (they have a child together, Ísadóra), for which she contributed the fairly well received soundtrack (her second soundtrack offering in her musical career). I can't wait to be a part of this discussion-- he is a fairly influential and important figure in the past 20 years in the art and film world. You can find more about the talk here.
A big part of this job will be getting increasingly familiar with the vernacular surrounding modern, post modern and contemporary art. A task that I've taken up is I will try and bring home 2-3 art journals, magazines, or publications so that I can begin to read and recognize many of the buzzwords, big exhibitions opening, and trends in the art world. This is going to be quite a challenge for me, as I have never taken any art or art history classes in this time period or type of art, but I feel through continual immersion and thorough reading and investigation that I may begin to understand the conventions and energy behind contemporary art. I picked up the December issues of Art in America and ARTnews in hopes to work with fairly recent news and ideas.
So begins this exciting trip into a world with which I am quite unfamiliar. It should provide quite an exhilarating time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
