I have now come to the end of a wonderful internship at The Arts Club of Chicago. On my last day the guest lecturer was the head of the French Pastry School of Chicago, so I got to celebrate with some delicious macaroons! However, I am taking away a lot more from this internship than just great memories such as that one. During a final staff meeting before the Club’s annual two-week closure the director asked me to sum up what I had been working on all summer, and it was a great opportunity for me to reflect upon the work I did for the club. I can honestly say that I think all of the research I did at the Newberry and the organization done in the office will help the Club as they prepare for their 100th anniversary.
Something I have discussed a lot in my earlier posts is the exposure I received to the contemporary art world, and I still think this is the most important thing I am taking away from my internship. The contemporary art market is extremely intimidating, and I feel like this internship was a useful introduction. I look forward to examining contemporary art using the knowledge I have gained at the Arts Club. Specifically this semester I am extremely excited to attend the Prospect New Orleans art exhibition being held downtown. It is events like these that I need to be attending to expose myself to how art is being displayed and marketed in non-museum settings.
My advice to anyone pursuing internships in the arts is not to be intimidated by the competitiveness of the field. No one denies that museum internships are hard to come by, but my internship at the Arts Club is a perfect example of how great experiences can be found at less obvious institutions. In many ways I think working with a smaller staff allowed me to gain more information about what tasks different careers require, which will be invaluable later on when I decide whether I want to become a curator or take another path. Overall I am so glad I found this internship, and it has made me much more confident in my pursuit of a career in the arts.