For the past three months I have been an intern with Visitor Experience for the Smithsonian Freer and Sackler Galleries. I have learned so much and I am happy to report that I will be extending my internship for another six months during my last semester in college. I will continue working with the F|S team to plan and execute the Freer|Sackler IlluminAsia Reopening Weekend. I enjoy seeing projects to the end so I am very happy I was asked to stay on as a reopening team member.
Currently in our office, we have large maps for the layouts for different galleries. Curators are able to put up pictures of the artifacts they are showing in their exhibits as well as the text that accompanies the art. There are also swatches of fabric for some of the galleries as well as material used for couches we are putting in the hallway. People are constantly changing their boards with text edits, adding or omitting information that they deem necessary to share with the public. We also have vision boards for the theatre in the Freer Gallery. Everything in the Freer Gallery has been renovated and our technology has been updated so it is very exciting seeing the whole museum come together. There is a lot that goes into reopening a museum. The Smithsonian Freer|Sackler Galleries are going through a rebranding as well. We are pushing the idea that they are “2 Galleries, 1 Destination.” We are hoping more people will visit the two national Asian Art museums. A lot of people don’t realize they are Smithsonian affiliated museums and some people don’t even know about the Sackler Gallery. We are going to try to make a bigger statement in 2018 for the Freer|Sackler.
In the middle of August, I was able to accompany my supervisor to a Herman Miller showroom to pick out new chairs that will be put at the Visitor Information Desk. Because both museums are being renovated, we are getting new Information Desks and chairs for our volunteers to sit at. This was my first time ever going to a showroom and representing a company. In a way, we were buyers for Smithsonian. I really enjoyed the experience. We were brought into a display room with all the chairs the company offered in our price range and we tested them out, picked out colors, and set up a delivery for mid September.
I am hoping that once both museums are open, I will be able to work in both the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery as well as the Charles Lang Freer Gallery. I have not been in the Freer Gallery in over two years so I will be attending training in September prior to the reopening to learn about the new layout and all the new exhibits. I really enjoy trainings because the curators are able to talk about everything they have researched and we, as Visitor Information Specialists are able to share this with the public.
When I return to work in September, I will continue working on putting out the seasonal newsletters to our Docents and Volunteers. I will continue to stay in contact with those volunteering for IlluminAsia and I will continue to attend docent trainings to familiarize myself with our new exhibits and prepare for visitors to return.
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