As a kid, I was always the one slowing my family down as we wandered through museums. Everyone else would be ready to go eat or browse the gift shop, and I would be several galleries behind reading every bit of text that I could. Despite my love for museums and the information they shared, I never imagined I would be the person doing the behind the scenes work. My Museum Studies internship this summer at the Old Jail Art Center has allowed me to be the person who does all of that unseen work.
On the first day of my internship, I was informed that the museum was installing an exhibit called “art of the Texas State Parks.” I was immediately in love. Pat and Amy asked me to help them do condition reports on the art, and from the very first day I knew I was in the right place. As the summer went on, my work in curation and the museum collection had me falling more and more in love with art. Seemingly boring tasks were magical to me. I helped inventory the collection and alphabetize artist cards, and so often I would find new favorite artists that I had never seen before. My other tasks were just as exciting. I was able to help hang the Rauschenberg pieces I had studied in an art history class and even arrange a selection of pieces for a teacher workshop. Being hands on (using gloves of course) with the artwork, helping curate spaces that I know my younger self would have been in awe of.
My work for the education department allowed me to dive deeper into the new artists and artworks I was discovering by writing captions for the museum instagram, curating playlists that matched various artworks, and even filming my own tiny tours. Learning how to write interpretation for the museum was a dream come true. This carried through into the archives department where I not only got to dive deeper into the history of Albany, but create my own display case on Albany history. Getting to pour over the writings of Albany locals I felt more connected to the town I was working in.
During my time at the OJAC I learned more than I ever would have thought. My childhood self would marvel at the behind the scenes work I get to do, and would have loved to visit these exhibitions. I am so grateful to each and every single person at the OJAC for making my Thursdays and Fridays this summer so magical.
Jane Anne Carrol
ACU