Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar
Semester: Spring 2026
Faculty Advisor/Professor: Professor Monique Scott
Community Partner: Fleisher Art Memorial
Praxis Site Supervisor: Rachel Hsu and Gerard Silva
Praxis Poster:
HART_GeorgiaSvoboda
Further Context:
This spring semester I interned at Fleisher Art Memorial in South Philadelphia, one of the oldest community arts centers in the United States. Founded in 1898 by Samuel S. Fleisher, it continues to be dedicated to offering accessible art education to both young people and adults and has a strong relationship with the Philadelphia community, often featuring art from local artists and holding community events and programs.
During my time at Fleisher, the majority of my work was spent supporting the Young Artists Program (YAP), where every Saturday I worked directly with students aged 5-12. A typical day involved going to three hour and a half long classes, working under the direction of the teaching artists as I guided students through the project for that day. Although I had experience working with children in the past, working with children in an educational setting was a new experience for me, so I had felt somewhat nervous during my first day. However, I quickly became comfortable and was able to enjoy my time at Fleisher thanks to the welcoming atmosphere and friendliness of both the staff and students.
Two major projects at Fleisher I helped with were the Spring Open House and end-of-year Student Art Exhibition. For the Spring Open House, one of my main contributions was the creation of a press release that was sent to local schools and other community centers to advertise upcoming summer and fall classes at Fleisher. My other main contribution was greeting new students and their families at the Open House’s welcome table alongside two other interns. The Spring Open House was especially exciting for me as it was the first time I had helped out with a project like that one and allowed me to see how a non-profit such as Fleisher goes through the process of creating such an event. The end-of-year Student Art Exhibition was similarly exciting for me as it was also a new experience. It was also especially fun to be able to look back on and celebrate all of the artwork created by the students over the Spring Term.
Throughout my entire experience at Fleisher, my favorite aspect was the people I met. Working with the teaching artists and students strengthened my interest in community engagement, education, and accessibility in museum spaces. I am especially thankful to my Praxis Site Supervisors Rachel Hsu and Gerard Silva as well as Professor Scott and Tiffany Stahl for all of their wonderful help and support. The connections I formed at Fleisher allowed me to become much more confident in my leadership abilities and gain a deeper appreciation of all the work done in community non-profits.