Lauren Casella ’16 at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, where she is interning for the summer
Editor’s note: This blog post is the first in a series written by students about their summer experiences.
Last week, I started my internship in New York City, working for the marketing department at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Housing collections of architecture, design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and film, MoMA is regarded as one of the most influential modern art museums in the world.
During my first two days, MoMA’s staff was immersed in preparation for its annual Party in the Garden. This year’s event, on June 2, honored artists Kara Walker and Richard Serra and featured a performance by popular R&B artist The Weeknd. As the event approached, I received a firsthand look into the marketing initiatives and strategies of MoMA through its various social media channels.
Throughout the summer I will serve as the only intern on the marketing department’s team. I will be studying the intersection of print and digital marketing campaigns as they are planned and implemented on varying scales in relation to upcoming exhibitions, programming, and events.
The formal internship program at MoMA includes 33 students and recent graduates in various departments. On Tuesdays, the interns gather with company executives and artists to learn about the collections, the history of the museum, and the state of the art world as it evolves in an increasingly digital society.
Despite not studying art or art history, I believe that MoMA is a place where I’ll be able to combine my two majors, political science and religion. I will consider the works of art in terms of their societal context and the ideas that drive artists in our contemporary landscape.
As I pursued this opportunity, I frequently corresponded with Pamela Duncan ’14, who provided me insight into her own experience as a MoMA summer intern and is now a full-time member of the special programming and events department.
My experiences as a MoMA intern, as a campus editor-at-large for the Huffington Post, and as an intern for the Colgate communications office during the academic year have allowed me to explore my passion for social media and storytelling. With senior year approaching, I know this summer’s opportunity will help prepare me for my career search.
As I consider my next 10 weeks at the museum, I am humbled to spend time exploring the galleries and studying the brand marketing for such powerful and moving exhibitions.