Category: HART 420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar S24

Theo Schefer, HC ’24

Early American Scavenger Hunt: Collection Review at Harriton House

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: Harriton House

Field Supervisor: Laura Carpenter Myers

Praxis Poster: 

Theo Schefer_Poster_FinalSP24

 

Further Context:

At least once in your life you have probably been on a field trip to a local historical house or site. Harriton House is another one of those spaces. Built in 1704 by Welsh Quaker Rolland Ellis, the home is best known as the residence of Charles Thompson, Secretary to the Continental Congress. While the interpretation of the site primarily caters to that period of time, the land was also a dairy farm and tobacco plantation. The current leadership wishes to reinterpret the house to include these stories, but well before any of that can happen a comprehensive inventory of the house is required.

My job this semester has been to conduct a systematic review of the over six hundred pieces of Early American furniture, silverware, and ephemera stored at Harriton House. Moving from room to room, I ensure that the items are where the records say they are located. Once I confirm this information, I go back to the one computer onsite that contains their digital
database and update the metadata with any additional information about the condition of the object. Certain objects have been misplaced and others are not accurately reflected in the catalog. In addition to confirming locations, my job is also to standardize presentation of the data so that
future researchers and directors have an easier time accessing the information that they need.

Data entry is a grueling, but necessary process, built off of the efforts of past archivists and volunteers. Through this experience I have realized that meaningful change, especially for a small institution like that of Harriton House, is built on a meaningful foundation. In order for them to draft a site plan for the house, they must first reflect on what the collection allows them to accomplish. Harriton House is a site in transition, and alongside my primary work it has been an absolute pleasure to watch its current executive director, Laura Carpenter Myers, in action. My workspace is in her office, so I am privy to a large part of her day-to-day tasks. This includes fielding donor questions, coordinating tours, and even taking care of the on-site animals.

Historic houses forge deep ties to their local community and carry unique connections to not just one past moment, but several. Through my project, I am helping Harriton House provide a more in-depth educational experience for curious visitors.

Mary Jane Schmidt, BMC ’24

A Day in My Life at Monument Lab

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: Monument Lab

Field Supervisor: Cleary Rubinos

Praxis Poster: 

MJ Praxis_Poster_Final S24

 

Further Context:

This semester I worked at Monument Lab as an  Administration and Operations Intern. Monument Lab is a Philly-based nonprofit public art and history studio that seeks to change and challenge public art through installations and public programming. As part of the Operations team, I worked mostly behind the scenes to help Monument Lab run effectively and efficiently. It was really interesting to learn about all of the somewhat hidden and very necessary tasks that go on behind the scenes of an arts-based nonprofit organization. I was able to observe and participate in a variety of departmental meetings, and additionally completed three larger projects during my internship at Monument Lab.

My first project was to find suitable vendors that might be interested in selling Monument Lab publications and internships. Monument Lab currently has a virtual store; I was looking for secondary in-person options. To complete this, I compiled a database of contemporary art museum gift shops and independent bookstores. I recently looked back at this undertaking, and I had found 135 potential locations!

My second project was assisting with the redecoration of the new office space. I sorted posters, found frames, cut out newspaper clippings for a “In the News” wall, and installed shelving inserts. It was fun to have a more hands-on project and rewarding to see the vision come together. As a nonprofit, it is important that the office space of Monument Lab be comfortable and usable for employees as well as inviting for new artists or donors, reflecting the mission and values of the organization.

To the same purpose, my final project involved working with the Monument Lab directory, a huge database of nearly everyone that the organization has interacted with, almost since inception. Due to some limitations of the current platform, the system needed to be cleaned up and prepared for a transfer to a new client relationship manager. While slightly outside of my wheelhouse, this was a very interesting project to help with and I certainly picked up some new skills.

I really enjoyed my time at Monument Lab, and am very grateful for all of the opportunities for growth and learning that I was given. It was rewarding to work with the Operations department and I really enjoyed my behind-the-scenes perspective of the organization. The Monument Lab mission is inspiring and it has been impactful to see everything that we have been learning in the fieldwork seminar reflected in real life.

Olivia Herman, BMC ’26

Layers Upon Layers: My Time in the Collections of the Penn Museum

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: The Penn Museum

Field Supervisor: Katy Blanchard

Praxis Poster: 

OliviaHerman_Poster_FinalS24_redsize

 

Further Context:

This semester I worked in the Near Eastern Collections at the Penn Museum. My main job was to inventory objects from Beth Shean, a site in modern-day Israel excavated by the Penn Museum between 1921 and 1933. We would start the day by going down a list of all the objects that should have been in the box and making sure they were accounted for and that there were no surprises. Once everything was accounted for and any surprises were dealt with we photographed the objects and rehoused them in new bags and a new box.

This experience gave me insight into behind-the-scenes of how a museum works and what happens to the objects after they are excavated and sent to a museum. As an Archaeology major, being able to handle objects that are thousands of years old and that I have only learned about in class and seen in photos has been a great experience. Some things can only really be learned by handling objects. Handling the objects put them in a new perspective for me, seeing the mundane day-to-day objects made me think about the people who had originally owned them and made me question why this object or its significance to its original owners. It was overall a very valuable experience that taught me a lot about both working in a museum and about what information is good to gather on an excavation to help people who will later handle the object.

 

Naomi Lawrence, HC ‘24

Fieldwork at the Fabric Workshop and Museum

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: Fabric Workshop and Museum

Field Supervisor: Christina Roberts

Praxis Poster: 

Naomi_Lawrence_Poster_Final_S24

 

Further Context:

I did my fieldwork at The Fabric Workshop and Museum, a contemporary art museum in Philadelphia. Through its artist residency program, artists work together with the FWM studio staff to create exhibitions. FWM also has a screenprinting studio, which produces hand printed fabric for exhibitions, as well as providing an apprenticeship program that trains young and emerging artists. FWM’s permanent collection contains artist boxes from each artist who has done a residency.

Over the course of my fieldwork I mostly assisted in the studio, and worked on two exhibitions. The first was Risa Puno’s Group Hug, an interactive game installation exploring the dynamics of caring for others and being cared for. Visitors choose a path when they enter the exhibit, either
cared for (relaxing in a chair nestled in a giant coconut shell) or care for (playing a game of whack-a-mole to keep the chairs reclined as long as possible). For Group Hug I designed and made four paper butterflies, each with different motifs inspired by one of the artist’s grandparents. I also assisted with painting coconut shells, cutting felt plants, and stuffing and
sewing felt leaves. Group Hug opened on February 29th.

The second exhibition I helped out with was John Jarboe’s The Rose Garden, a maze of interconnected rooms that leads the viewer through the artist’s gender journey and is set to open on May 11th. The viewer will travel through the different rooms and interact with sculptural elements to uncover video art. One of the elements of this exhibit is a giant red snapper with a screen in its belly. I assisted with attaching and arranging scales on the fish sculpture, as well as decorating the fins and tail. I also helped arrange and attach dried roses to some of the walls, and ran some errands to get materials.

In between working on exhibitions, I developed a visitor questionnaire for Group Hug. The questionnaire covered some demographic questions, which are helpful to the museum for understanding their audience, as well as some questions about the visitors’ experience interacting with the exhibit.  The format for the questionnaire can hopefully be used for future exhibitions as well.

I learned a lot over the course of my fieldwork. One of my main takeaways was the difference between making my own art and working on art for someone else. Working within a pre-specified set of criteria, with external feedback, and with some but not complete creative freedom, presents its own specific set of challenges. While I struggled at first and felt the need
to constantly check with my supervisor, I gradually learned to trust myself more and was able to work more independently. Finding a good balance of working independently, while seeking enough feedback to stay on track and make sure I am fulfilling the artist’s vision is an ongoing process. Another big takeaway for me was the importance of collaboration and delegation for
large creative projects. There are so many people working on each exhibition at FWM, with such a wide range of skills and expertise. Despite this range it’s still a small team for the scale of the exhibits they create, and so people have to work flexibly, taking on a number of roles throughout
the process. It would be impossible for one person to do all of the things necessary to complete one of these exhibitions, or even to have complete creative control over each decision, and so collaboration is central to the process. Overall I found the fieldwork seminar to be a very informative and enriching experience.

Miko Fleming, BMC ’24

My Experience at The Print Center

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: The Print Center

Field Supervisor: Mikaela Hawk

Praxis Poster: 

MikoFleming_Poster_Final_S24

 

Further Context:

For my Praxis Fieldwork Seminar, I underwent an internship at The Print Center — a historic non-profit art gallery nestled in a narrow cobbled street in Rittenhouse, Philadelphia. The Print Center, formerly known as The Print Club, was founded in 1915 as the first institution in the country dedicated solely to the medium of printmaking before expanding to include photography in the 1960s. Since its founding, The Print Center has sought to provide a space for art and artists typically underrepresented in the art world. Today, The Print Center continues to seek ways to support artists who push the boundaries of photography and printmaking through its
exhibitions, competitions, publications, and educational programs.

What I find most impressive about The Print Center, is its tireless contributions to an international community of printmakers and photographers, as well as creating opportunities for people in Philadelphia to engage with contemporary art and gain a deeper understanding of these
mediums. One such opportunity I have benefited from as a student, is the internship program itself. The Print Center hosts interns in revolving programs year-round, providing valuable and diverse experiences in arts administration and gallery management for young people interested in
the field who are based in and around Philadelphia. I am very grateful to have been able to take part in this internship program, I believe it to have been a genuinely valuable learning experience, lending me skills I will be able to take with me to future opportunities.

Mary-Grace Culbertson, BMC ‘25

Archives, Catalogs, and Collections at the Fabric Workshop and Museum

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: Fabric Workshop and Museum

Field Supervisor: Justin Hall

Praxis Poster: 

Mary-Grace Culbertson_Poster_Final S24

 

Further Context:

This semester I did an internship at the Fabric Workshop and Museum. Since this was my second semester at the FWM, I was already fairly acquainted with the collection and the tasks I’d be expected to do. Most of what I worked on this semester was related to organizing and streamlining information so that it could be easily accessed.

My first task was to compile a document that made readily available information regarding objects owned by the museum. To do this, I had to gather all information related to the object, like material, dimensions, and photo. I also had to delve into some files to determine what kind of contract the museum had with the artists and what it outlines in regard to object ownership. This was an interesting glimpse into the logistics of museums and collection building. The evolution of the contracts from the beginning of the museum to the present day was fascinating as the older contracts give most rights to the museum while the newer ones are more specific and individualized. This task took me quite some time and amounted to something close to 50 pages. I was relieved to be done with this task and rewarded by the completion of the file!

My next tasks were all in a similar vein of collections inventory. I did some work in locating objects and recording that in Excel sheets. I then updated this information on their collection database CollectionSpace. My final project of the semester involved doing some more work on CollectionSpace making exhibition records. This process included making a file for each exhibition that has happened at the FWM and attaching necessary files to it (this included the gallery checklist, wall text, and press release). I was able to make records for every year through 2012.

Overall, I really enjoyed my internship at the Fabric Workshop and Museum. I learned so much about museum processes and developed important organizational skills that will benefit the museum in future years. I feel so lucky for this experience and want to express my deepest gratitude for the FWM and for Bryn Mawr’s praxis program for allowing me to take part in this opportunity.

Lucy Frank, BMC ’25

Curatorial Methods Internship at Public Trust

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: Public Trust

Field Supervisor: Aaron Levy

Praxis Poster: 

Lucy Frank_Poster_Final_S24

 

Further Context:

My internship at Public Trust, an arts organization situated on the University of Pennsylvania, has been a journey of exploration, learning, and meaningful contributions. There I worked closely with Aaron Levy, its director and a professor at UPenn on a variety of projects. During my time there, I learned the ins and outs of a non profit arts organization and community engagement center, and the vital role these play in shaping our collective future. Public Trust’s ethos revolves around pushing boundaries and challenging perceptions. With a focus on creative approaches to health, education, and ecology, the organization underscores the belief that public
trust can only be rejuvenated through a commitment to these foundational concerns. Through innovative exhibitions and dynamic public programming, Public Trust creates spaces for dialogue and reflection regarding political and social issues.

My time at Public Trust not only broadened my skillset but also enriched my
understanding of the intersection between art and societal issues. I worked on a plethora of projects such as conducting research for a permanent exhibition engaging the archives, editing curatorial language for the exhibition, developing several procedures and protocols (e.g.
memorandums of understandings) to support upcoming programs and partnerships, and contributing to grant application brainstorming. Most importantly, I familiarized myself with their twenty-year archives and conducted relevant research about contemporary artists working on issues concerning public trust. Crafting memorandums of understanding and brainstorming grant applications highlighted the importance of strategic planning and collaboration in driving impactful initiatives forward. However, it was my engagement with Public Trust’s extensive archives and research on contemporary artists that truly resonated with me as an artist myself. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take Bryn Mawr’s Praxis Program. My internship experience has equipped me with invaluable skills and insights, reaffirming my belief in the transformative power of art, and preparing me to enter the art world post-grad.

Lily Wallis, BMC ’25

Monument Lab

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: Monument Lab

Field Supervisor: Maya Bjornson

Praxis Poster: 

Lily Wallis_Poster_Final S24

 

Further Context:

As I reflect on my recent internship with Monument Lab, a nonprofit public art and history studio based in Philadelphia, I am struck by the profound impact it has had on my personal and professional development. Over the past semester, I had the privilege of immersing myself in the dynamic world of arts administration while actively contributing to Monument Lab’s mission of fostering critical conversations around monuments, memory, and social change. From the outset, I was captivated by Monument Lab’s innovative approach to public engagement and collective memory. I quickly realized that my role in directory research, data cleaning, and management
was not merely about compiling information but was integral to the larger goal of facilitating inclusive and participatory dialogue within communities. Conducting research for directory information allowed me to delve into the rich tapestry of Philadelphia’s history and cultural landscape. It was a process of discovery that deepened my appreciation for the diverse stories
and voices that shape our understanding of the past. Moreover, assisting in cleaning and managing data records underscored the importance of accuracy and attention to detail in supporting the organization’s mission. In addition to my responsibilities in data management, I also had the opportunity to contribute to the smooth functioning of Monument Lab’s daily operations. Providing general assistance with office tasks may have seemed routine, but it was a vital aspect of ensuring that the organization could focus on its core objectives and I gained valuable insight into the logistical challenges of running a nonprofit arts organization.

Beyond the practical skills I acquired, my internship at Monument Lab provided me with a rich understanding of the intersection between administrative operations and social change through art. Through conversations with my colleagues and exposure to the organization’s
projects and initiatives, I came to appreciate how effective administration can amplify the impact of artistic interventions in public spaces. Looking back on my time at Monument Lab, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a dynamic and inspiring organization. My internship has not only equipped me with practical skills and knowledge, but has ignited a
passion for using art as a tool for social justice and community empowerment. I am excited to continue exploring the intersection of art, administration, and activism, and to contribute to positive change in the world around me.

Lilly Lakritz, BMC ‘26

Science Education at the Academy of Natural Sciences

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Field Supervisor: Mariah Romaninsky

Praxis Poster: 

Lilly_Lakritz_Poster_Final_SP24

 

Further Context:

Maya Hofstetter, BMC ’25

The East Coast Well Core Inventory Project

Semester: Spring 2024

Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz

Field Site: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Field Supervisor: Alejandra Martinez-Melo

Praxis Poster: 

Maya Hofstetter_Poster_S24

 

Further Context:

This spring, I interned in the Invertebrate Paleontology collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (ANSP) as the fieldwork component of the Museum Studies Praxis Seminar. I worked on the East Coast Well Core Inventory project, which involved sorting, rehousing, and logging a collection of artesian well cores. Most of the cores were collected by ANSP member Lewis Woolman from 1889 to 1903, but the collection includes samples from as late as the 1970s. It came to the Invertebrate Paleontology collection through former Curator Horace G. Richards, but the samples were never accessioned by the ANSP. They are not technically ANSP samples, and no information about the numbering and organizational conventions given to them by Gordon has been found. My day-to-day activities included data input using Excel, rehousing bags of dried silt, sand, and gravel, and consulting logs and maps to decipher locality information. I only came to the collection one day a week and would spend most of my time working with the cores alongside Owen Goodchild, the full-time Collection Assistant working on the project.

The well cores are housed in tall metal specimen cabinets that overflow into the halls outside of the official collection space. Most of the cores do not have enough location or collection data associated with them to be viable in research, or enough fossils. The samples, especially those housed in fabric pouches, release fine clay dust into the air whenever they are moved. Fly ash, a coal manufacturing by-product, coats most of the boxes (and whoever touches them) in a black, powdery residue. Oftentimes, we would have to check each box, envelope, or pouch for a core to figure out the depth range, which got messy quickly. Having another set of hands to input data into the spreadsheet, even for just one day a week, sped up the project. As of late April, inventory has officially been completed and efforts had shifted to contacting organizations (i.e., state geological surveys) or institutions (i.e. universities) who can accept sections of the collection. A total of 777 cores were inventoried, and 65% of cores described in a set of inventory notecards have been located (355/510 cores). The most popular locality was New Jersey, at 55% (433 cores), followed by North Carolina at 27% (215 cores). If all goes well, portions of the cores will be transferred to new, better-equipped homes soon!