Author: Liv Raddatz

Olivia Harkins-Finn, BMC ‘23

Teacher Institute Intern at the Toledo Museum of Art

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: HART 420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisors: Matthew Feliz &  Monique Scott

Field Site: The Toledo Museum of Art

Field Supervisor: Grace Toth

Praxis Poster:

Final_Olivia H-F Poster

 

Further Context:

For my praxis this semester, I got to work remotely for the Toledo Museum of Art where I interned in person over the summer. My position this semester has been particularly fulfilling because I am helping support the planning of a nation-wide Teacher Institute funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Institutes like this one are supported by the NEH a lot, but this year is the first time an art museum will be hosting one.

The Teacher Institute at the Toledo Museum of Art is described on their website as follows: “Exploring a work of art’s story, symbolism, and context can shape our perceptions of the world. The Toledo Museum of Art’s week-long summer institute will help K-12 teachers develop skills and teaching strategies to facilitate their students’ investigations into Native American and African American perspectives and contributions to American History through visual culture.” You can read more about the Teacher Institute on their website here.

My specific role has been to primarily create pre and post institute resources for the participating teachers. This includes lesson plans surrounding artists we will focus on during the week of the institute. I have also been working on workshop guides surrounding specific exhibits that will be up at the museum over the summer. Additionally, I helped compile resources for teachers surrounding their stay in Toledo. Teachers have also come to me for help coordinating accommodations and other things for their stay. Overall, I have really enjoyed my internship this semester!

Julie Knoepfler, BMC ’24

Special Collections Research: Locating Delaware Artifacts at External Institutions

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: HART 420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisors: Matthew Feliz &  Monique Scott

Field Site: Bryn Mawr College Special Collections

Field Supervisors: Allison Mills & Carrie Robbins

Praxis Poster:

Final_Julie_KnoepflerPoster_HART420

 

Further Context:

For my Praxis project, the main goal was to learn if any artifacts from the Delaware Tribe, procured by donors whose collections have ended up at BMC Special Collections, are also being held at other institutions. Due to the great imposition this research would have taken on tribe members and the necessity of repatriation happening in as few rounds as possible, it is key that this research was conducted.

The first part of the research involved confirming the names that the Delaware tribe has gone by (or have been called) throughout their history and to also learn where tribe members have lived from about 1800 to 1920. This information was key for me, when looking through museum databases. I created a spreadsheet and listed every name that the tribe went under so that when I searched museums, I wouldn’t miss any results. Locations were also important so that if an object was tagged with one of the relevant states, I’d know to investigate it further or to narrow my searches to certain states.

The second part of my research was looking for the identities of donors. Many of the names on the scans my supervisors provided were only of initials and/or last names. We didn’t know who most of these people were or details about their lives. Therefore, I conducted research through census data, searching for full names and identities. Knowing the donors’ identities would allow me to learn which institutions they were associated with so I would know to search through their museum collections. Ultimately, I learned the identities of up to eight donors (for three, I am making an educated guess, but I was unable to fully confirm their identity) out of approximately 23 unknown donors on the scans.

The last part of my research involved my various trips to the archives of Swarthmore, Haverford, and The Academy of Natural Sciences. While my visits to Swarthmore and Haverford were useful, I found the most information at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Through my visit, I found letters and documents between donors and institutions (or curators), some of which confirmed the move of artifacts to these institutions. I also found letters between donors and archaeologists who purchased items or asked for the recipient’s expertise. Lastly, many of these letters confirmed sites where artifacts were excavated (and who excavated them).

Results: In total I was able to find artifacts at the Ohio History Connection and the Smithsonian that might be of Delaware origin. The next step involves working with the tribe to try and confirm whether these objects are in fact Delaware artifacts.

Hilda Delgado, HC ’23

Curatorial Research at Monument Lab

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: HART 420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisors: Matthew Feliz &  Monique Scott

Field Site: Monument Lab

Field Supervisor: Aubree Penney

Praxis Poster:

Final_HildaDelgado_PosterMonumentLab

 

Further Context:

At Monument Lab I was able to learn a myriad of skills that I think will be very helpful in my future endeavors. My work primarily consisted of conducting curatorial research. I contributed to their curatorial pipeline which facilitates further research of artists for the rest of the Monument Lab team. I also had the opportunity to do research on Contemporary Latinx artists. This was really fun to do because my interest lies in Latinx art, so it was informative as I was able to learn about new artists and delve deeper into artists that I wanted to learn even more about!

It was really interesting to see how a non profit engaged with art, monuments, and history. Through my work with Monument Lab I learned about artists doing work to rethink and reconstruct how we view history and how monuments intersect to achieve this. At the end of my internship with Monument Lab I gave a presentation on a few artists I had found that I thought would make a good fit for Monument Lab projects in the future. This is where I feel like I learned the most about Monument Lab’s mission because I had to select artists whose work aligned with Monument Lab’s work. In my research I found a lot of artists whose work engaged with the public and it revealed to me the importance of community and collaborative work to move towards the larger goal of equity and rethinking monuments.

Eryn Mei Peritz (丰春苹), BMC ’25

Monument Lab

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: HART 420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisors: Matthew Feliz &  Monique Scott

Field Site: Monument Lab

Field Supervisor: Aubree Penney

Praxis Poster:

Final_Eryn_Peritz_MonumentLabPoster (24 × 36 in)

 

Further Context:

 

Please click here to view Eryn’s video presentation.

Eliana Silbert, BMC ‘25

Representation Matters: Religion

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: HART 420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisors: Matthew Feliz &  Monique Scott

Field Site: Bryn Mawr College Special Collections

Field Supervisors: Carrie Robbins and Marianne Weldon

Praxis Poster:

Final_Eliana Silbert Praxis Poster (002)

 

Further Context:

For my praxis internship as part of the Museum Studies Praxis Fieldwork Seminar, I worked with Bryn Mawr’s Special Collections as part of a project called “Representation Matters.” Our goal was to improve how certain identity factors — religion, race, and gender — are represented in TriArte, Special Collections’ online database. Although I was working with two other people, the focus of our project differed as I was concentrating on religious art and artifacts and they were looking at the gender and race of the artists whose work is in TriArte.

I began my project by searching for various religious objects in online databases in a total of thirteen museums across the country. I kept track of what I liked and what I didn’t like, as well as where I felt that the search systems were lacking. I then did the same with TriArte. Using my notes for both sets of digital explorations, I created a list of ideas for how religious objects should be keyworded. I also included some information about what I thought would be useful to include in blurbs for certain objects, as the blurbs were really helpful in teaching me about what I was looking at when I was on the websites of other museums or digital collections.

I was able to start meeting with Marianne Weldon, the Head of Special Collections’ Arts and Artifacts Department, and begin implementing my ideas. As a religion major and museum studies minor, I also had learned a lot of information in my classes that was useful for this. One of the changes I made involved the Buddha statues owned by Bryn Mawr; I updated their keywords so they all used generic terms such as “Buddhism,” “Buddha,” “religion,” and “religious art,” but also added in terms relating to the mudras displayed by each piece. Mudras are hand gestures that appear a lot in Hindu and Buddhist art, and each mudra has its own name and meaning. It wasn’t always as straightforward as simply adding in mudras, however. I wrote a blurb for a piece titled Abraham Casting out Hagar and Ishmael, where I explained the story, as described in Genesis. However, this specific scene is important not only in Judaism and Christianity, but also in Islam. There are some differences, and I wanted to be respectful of that. However, I also had to be wary of any default assumptions I might make about that scene due to my own Jewish background.

The other lasting impact of my project — beyond the updated items in TriArte — was a section on how to keyword that will go in the Data Entry Standards document used by Special Collections. This is general as opposed to focusing on religion, but I used the specific things I updated in TriArte as examples.

I really enjoyed this project. It allowed me to learn about the importance of word choice and digital archiving, and the impact (positive or negative) that can be made from both of those. I had never given much thought to keywording prior to this project, so I really appreciated that it opened my eyes to such an important aspect of the world of museums.

Mary-Grace Culbertson, BMC ’25

Cataloging Collections at The Fabric Workshop and Museum

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: HART 420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisors: Matthew Feliz &  Monique Scott

Field Site: The Fabric Workshop and Museum

Field Supervisor: Justin Hall

Praxis Poster:

Final_Culbertson,Mary-GraceHART420Poster

 

Further Context:

This semester I worked with the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia in their collections department. I had two main tasks in my work this semester—gathering contact information for all artists that have complete residencies with the FWM and digitally cataloging the Artist Boxes that are stored in collections. I spent about 5 weeks locating and documenting contact info for the 400+ artists that have work with the museum’s Artist-in-Residence program; the rest of my semester was spent on cataloging Artist Boxes.

My first objective of the semester was to use a list of over 400 names of artists that have worked with the FWM and to locate contact information for them. This task was important to the collections department as having a resource in which collaborators’ information is neatly compiled and readily available makes it much easier for staff to contact artists about the status of their works that exist in collections. If a question of ownership is to arise regarding objects made by a certain artist, it is helpful to have their contact in an easy to locate file. To make this file, I was first to make note of whether each artist was deceased or living—and if living, where—then to find their gallery representation. For some names, this process was quite easy, especially if the artist is well known; however, for others this was a bit tricky. I searched each name in a search engine and did my best to find the information I needed. I found that if artists had their own websites this search was a bit easier as they tended to list their gallery representation(s), and if they were really thorough, they even included phone numbers and emails for those galleries. For many artists, I was able to locate gallery representation directly through the galleries’ websites that tended to be top results when I searched their names. There were also many artists on my list of much smaller acclaim that were challenging to gather information for; many of them had websites that seemingly hadn’t been updated in years or simply had Instagram pages with little information about location and representation. While this task was tedious and time consuming, I actually quite enjoyed it as it was satisfying to go down a list knowing I would eventually complete it.

Once I completed my list, I began working on cataloging the Artist Boxes that are held in collections. The FWM has a special practice of archiving certain objects from each artist that completes the Artist-in-Residency in boxes known as Artists Boxes. These boxes contain a wide variety of objects that illustrate the artists’ process working with the FWM and often have prototypes of the final design or material that is used for the artists’ exhibit with the FWM. My supervisor Justin was very flexible with letting me choose which boxes I’d like to open and catalog. I was able to complete the cataloging process for nine different artists. To catalog each box’s contents, I photographed each item, making note of whether it was loose in the box or stored in a bag. I also measured each item and made a note of the dimensions. Once I had finished photographing and measuring all contents, I put the box back in its proper location and started digitally documenting each box. I compiled all the pictures into a single document that I titled “[Artist and year of residency] Artist Box” that also included a photograph of the final work and information regarding ownership of the work. Once I had all photographs inserted into the document, I began to describe each item visually, making note of any writings or distinguishing marks, and noting the measurements of each item. After I finished describing each object, I uploaded the file to a SharePoint folder that my supervisor has access to so that he has the ability to review the content and add any information that I may not have access to. These documents, once fully completed and double-checked for errors, are uploaded to the FWM website as educational materials. These documents allow interested parties to access objects in collections and to learn more about artists, their process, their works, and the FWM’s practices. I found cataloging the Artist Boxes to be incredibly interesting and fulfilling. I took great pleasure in seeing what kind of objects existed in these boxes and being able to physically see and touch art made by artists that I enjoy or am learning about in other courses.

I had a great experience working with the FWM as I was able to immerse myself in museum work and explore my personal interests as well as opportunities that exist in museums. Working at the FWM opened my eyes to all the different roles that exist in museums and showed me how museums can differ from institution to institution. Being able to work closely with work belonging to artists whose work I enjoy and artists that I was learning about in other courses created a dynamic and fulfilling semester at the FWM and on campus.

Isabel Oalican, BMC ’23

HIAS: Legal Intake Internship

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania

Field Supervisor: Rona Gershon

Praxis Poster:

Final_IsabelO_POLS_Poster

 

Further Context:

This semester I interned as a legal intake intern for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania (HIASPA). HIASPA was created with the intention of assisting Jewish refugees, and since the 1970s has expanded to assist refugees of all faiths and backgrounds.

As a legal intake intern, I was responsible for conducting intake interviews during hotline hours for incoming clients and inputting this information into a law-based database called Law Logix. This work was done remotely during hotline hours on Wednesdays from 12-1 and Thursdays from 2-430PM. During intake, I would ask clients for basic information as well as a series of questions that would determine whether they qualified for our immigration services. Our services include representation for refugees, asylees, domestic violence survivors, immigrant youth, survivors of torture, immigrant victims of crime, and elderly and disabled immigrants. Performing intake allowed me to gain familiarity with immigration law as well as the eligibility requirements for immigration benefits.

Following intake, I would maintain cases via case notes. Case notes was where me and their attorneys would communicate next steps, referrals, client information, and eventually close each case. As I became more comfortable intaking clients, I had the opportunity to assist them with small tasks in the case notes such as filling out client forms. The ability to intake and manage client cases gave me relevant experience in legal management that will be transferable to the paralegal work I will be doing following graduation.

During my internship I also had the opportunity to shadow an Immigrant Youth Advocacy Staff Attorney. Shadowing allowed me to observe representation to unaccompanied children seeking asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status before USCIS and the Immigrant Court. This experience exposed me to the preparation process for asylees prior to their asylum interview. I became familiar with how strategic legal questioning can help build a case for presentation in front of immigration court. I also observed multiple Know Your Rights presentations to elementary and middle schools, becoming familiar with immigrant rights and immigrant communities in Philadelphia. Shadowing an immigration attorney was an invaluable experience as it gave me a look into public interest law as a career.

Overall, my experience at HIASPA was extremely rewarding and engaging. My boss was very attentive to my questions and supportive of my desire to shadow an attorney in person. I would highly recommend interning at HIASPA to those interesting in pursuing public interest law.

Tatiana Ahmad, BMC ’23

Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania

Field Supervisor: Katie Blume

Praxis Poster:

Final_Tatiana_Ahmad_POLS_Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania

 

Further Context:

This semester I worked with Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania (CVPA), a political organization that works to elect environmentally responsible candidates to state and local office, hold those elected officials responsible for their environmental pledges, advocate for strong environmental policies state-wide, and strengthen laws that safeguard the health of our communities, the beauty of our state, and our economic future. My work primarily focused on writing comments for various comment periods. For example, I wrote an “action-alert intake form” for the Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter. Particulate matter is miniscule particles which are suspended in and saturate the atmosphere. It can cause severe and long term health problems if inhaled.

My job was to outline the proposed regulation to educate the public on the matter, and urge the responsible parties (the EPA/Administrator Regan in the case of particulate matter) to respond according to public and environmental interests. Once the comment is completed, it is submitted to Regulations.gov where anyone can view the submitted public comments. What makes CVPA such an important organization is its commitment to environmental justice. As any environmentalist or environmental scientist will tell you, climate change will always disproportionately impact poor communities of color. However, many environmental organizations will either ignore or plainly acknowledge environmental justice concerns. CVPA holds environmental justice as a pillar of their political strategy. For example, every comment submitted by CVPA will have a designated section of the submission dedicated to the diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) implications.

I was very fortunate to have an internship experience with an extremely supportive and communicative staff. I met with multiple staff members individually to collaborate on work and attended one full staff meeting. CVPA helped me form a deeper understanding of the local political network and the methods by which any person can participate in politics and influence decisions that are important to them and their values.

Alex Rebhun, HC ‘23

Solar Schools Toolkit: The Philadelphia Solar Energy Association

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: The Philadelphia Solar Energy Association (PSEA)

Field Supervisor: Liz Robinson

Praxis Poster:

Final_Rebhun_Praxis_Poster_resized

 

Further Context:

The Philadelphia Solar Energy Association (PSEA) is a non-profit whose mission is to further solar energy education and implementation in the Philadelphia area. In the past, their work has included curriculum writing, solar-car races, educational events, and more. The PSEA is still a small, volunteer-based organization, however it has recently begun several new initiatives such as a contest for school kids and a toolkit to help schools implement photovoltaic systems.

My work at the PSEA mainly involved assisting with this new toolkit, known as the Solar Schools Toolkit. This digital document includes all the references and resources a school would need to implement solar power, including steps to follow, people to contact, sample RFPs, and more. My job was to assist with the creation of this document where possible. This included editing for accessibility and clarity, retrieving graphics and photos, and assisting with formatting. At times it was difficult to keep up, as my understanding of photovoltaic systems was not on par with the PSEA’s industry-veteran volunteers. However I found that I learned as I went, and PSEA staff was extremely friendly in making corrections.
I also assisted with the PSEA’s new “Imagine a Clean Energy Future” contest, where middle/high school students submitted written, visual, and video concepts of their interpretation of a clean energy future. My work began in the coordination stage, where I helped manage emails and contest submissions. I then assisted with the related exhibit opening, writing letters of congratulations and helping set up student works in the exhibit space. Finally I attended the opening itself, where I was proud to see the contest-winners receive their prizes.

I learned a great deal during my time with the PSEA. Aside from various writing and technicals skills (including editing, press release writing, and mail-merging) I learned to work remotely, on my on schedule. I also learned about solar grants and how funding is managed at state agencies such as the PADEP. Finally, I developed an understanding of the workings of volunteer-based nonprofits, particularly in the post-covid era.

I’d like to thank Liz Robinson and the PSEA staff for their warm welcome during my Praxis experience. I’m truly grateful for all the time they spent with me and the work we accomplished together. I’d also like to thank Marissa Golden and Tiffany Stahl for making this experience possible.

Kitty Shi, BMC ’25

Empowering Communities

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: Global Philadelphia Association (GPA)

Field Supervisor: Sylta Cubranich

Praxis Poster:

Final_Kitty Shi_POLSPoster

 

Further Context:

The Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Philadelphia as a global city by connecting its residents, businesses, and institutions to the world. The organization works towards increasing Philadelphia’s global engagement through various programs, such as international networking events, educational
initiatives, and cultural exchanges.

During my internship at GPA, I managed the organization’s official Instagram account, posted events on the website, attended and assisted in setting up GPA events, and contributed to the 2023 Annual Impact Report. I also wrote several articles on topics such as sustainable development goals (SDGs), world heritage preservation, and event news.

This internship allowed me to develop vital skills, such as communication and collaboration with team members in a hybrid work environment. Additionally, I gained a deeper understanding of how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operate and how to organize NGO-led events. I also learned how to filter essential information in my writing and enhance
my networking skills by attending social events.