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Kayla Federline (second from left) and friends from the Philadelphia Museum of Art I must admit that I had a very basic understanding of what the Research and Development team did. I soon learned that they are nuts and bolts of the museum and responsible for bringing in the money. They search for potential donors, organize cultivation events for the donors, and work closely with finance to keep the lights on and curators curating. The more I learned about the department, the more I realized how perfectly Janet Cooke, the internship program coordinator, had placed me within the museum. I am currently pursuing a double major in Art History and Business and Economics at Ursinus College. Thanks to my Business and Economics classes, I was able to understand the department's balance sheets and cash flow charts as well as the spreadsheets detailing weekly goals for the department. I understood most of the terms being thrown around the office regarding donors' contributions. More importantly, I gained a comprehensive understanding of how an office that depends completely on numbers and client relationships operates. Additionally, my Art History degree helped me to appreciate the reason all of the departments work so diligently: they continuously strive to develop the relationship between the individual and the art. On the days I was not in my department, I went on behind-the-scene tours and listened to fascinating speakers. I saw angles of the museum that very few people ever see. I saw the East Entrance from behind the crown molding, stood in the air conditioning vent in the boiler room, touched the terracotta tile of the roof while on the roof, saw the original blue-prints of the main building, as well as the renovation plans for Perelman. I also tagged along to a press release announcing that the city of Philadelphia was working to renovate the parkway. (The Philadelphia Museum of Art's Rodin Museum would be involved in this project.) While getting into the car to the press release, I found myself between Mr. Lenfest, Chairman of the Board at the PMA, Gail Harrity, COO and interim CEO of the PMA, and Eileen Matchett, Research and Development coordinator for the Rodin Museum. Our car was behind the cars driving Mayor Nutter and Governor Ed Rendell. And then there was me. The intern. I was pleasantly out of my league. Of course, I also fell in love with the City of Philadelphia, made new friends with similar interests, and received a much needed "push" to continue on my double major and minor track at Ursinus. I lived with the family of a curator while at the PMA and miss them already. My last day at the Philadelphia Museum of Art was a difficult one. Happily, my Research and Development supervisor invited me to come back to the department and hinted that there may be a more permanent position available. Now, I am currently studying art in Florence, Italy for the duration of my fall semester of my junior year at Ursinus. The art here is astounding. I spend most of my time in the Uffizi Galleries and getting lost with my friends on the cobblestone streets. These past few months have been the most rich and rewarding of my life. I finally feel that I am applying my college education and seeing the vast spectrum of opportunities that await me. |
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