91¿´Æ¬Íø

Doing Cultural Studies at the Chrysler Museum of Art: An Internship Experience

It is well known that museums are a very rich site for practitioners of cultural studies to apply their training in meaningful ways. This is what Clare Yee ('27), a double major in Art History and Hispanic Studies, found out last summer, as she interned at the Chrysler Museum of Art thanks to generous funds from the . In fact, she was able to blend the training she received in her two majors. In Clare's own words:

"Although my internship last summer did not directly utilize Spanish language skills, I was able to use cultural studies research methods that have been foundational to my courses in the Hispanic Studies department.

"My primary project consisted of reviewing the records of the Chinese glass collection at the Chrysler Museum of Art in preparation for their upcoming exhibition . The objects in the collection were created in a cross-cultural setting, with Jesuit missionaries and Chinese artisans working together in imperial workshops during the Qing dynasty period, so learning about these interactions with a background in cultural studies was incredibly interesting. I additionally had a deep interest in the reception of these objects in American collectors' hands, and how interpretations of any symbols or motifs may change across intercultural commercial relationships."

After a stimulating summer experience, Clare is currently interning at the Muscarelle Museum of Art. This work has also yielded stimulating and fruitful connections to the Hispanic Studies program:

"My work at the Muscarelle as a MUSE intern focuses primarily on welcoming students from diverse academic backgrounds into the museum. One of our event series is called "Art in Conversation," in which professors from two different disciplines at 91¿´Æ¬Íø share a conversation about their own experiences with art, how art integrates into their teaching and scholarship, and their hopes for interdisciplinary education at the university. One of our earliest installments of this lecture series featured Professor Rivera from the Hispanic Studies department, and I loved being able to hear more about how art history and visual studies ground his research in Caribbean and Indigenous cultural studies."

The HISP program encourages students to take advantage of multiple opportunities available to them in the form of internships. Every semester, the HISP program recruits students for the  that trains students in pedagogy, and in multiple other skills coveted in the job market.  The HISP program also offers internships via its study abroad programs. While spending a semester in Seville, students can participate in internships tied to Seville's changing social landscape (e.g., immigration, women and society, health care, human rights, etc.). When studying in fall or spring in La Plata, students intern with the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria in work that focuses on the protection and education in human rights. The opportunity to intern at the different areas of the Comisión is also available during summer as part of the . More information on these and other internship opportunities can be found .