The beginning of my summer has been busy with receiving valuable working experience through my curatorial internship at the Everhart Museum. I have already gained various skills by working here the past three weeks; however, I am looking forward to learning even more as my internship progresses and I continue to complete more projects. This experience has helped me understand the role of a curator in not just handling the museum’s exhibitions, but also administering important responsibilities such as budgeting and marketing. My internship allows me to handle the museum’s artifacts and directly contribute to their conservation and repatriation to indigenous peoples under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The research I have conducted on various sacred Native American artifacts has helped me understand a museum’s legal procedures while also gaining knowledge about native tribes and their culture. As I continue to work at the Everhart, I hope to be involved in the process of curating an exhibit that relates back to the research I have conducted so far. The knowledge I have gained will impact my future career as a curator because I have an appreciation for the extensive research that goes into conserving and displaying artifacts in an educational, yet respectful way.
Abbey Donaldson
History
Hi Abbey,
While we are both interning at the same location this summer, I am still fascinated by the different kinds of research you are conducting. To be able to handle the museums Native American artifacts must be a rewarding feeling. It is so incredible to know that you are directly contributing to the continuation of those ancient artifacts. I hope your internship experience at the museum provides you with many more opportunities like this down the road.
All the best,
Virginia