The Davis interns pose in front of a mural at the Pod Hotel in New York City. (L-R): Morgan Moore, Masha Nikitin, Imani Higginson, Athena Knisley, and Anna Egeland.

The Davis Museum at Wellesley College recently welcomed five summer interns who will spend ten weeks working on in-depth projects and gaining exposure to museum operations. The interns, all of whom are either Wellesley College students or recent graduates, will gain experience in a variety of museum departments. Masha Nikitin ’13 (South Salem, NY), Imani Higginson ’14 (Amherst, MA), and Morgan Moore ’15 (Brunswick, ME) are working in the curatorial department, Athena Knisley ’15 (New Vienna, OH) is working in collections care and management and Anna Egeland ’16 (Iowa City, IA) is working with technology.

The program, which began on June 11, marks the tenth year of the Davis Summer Internship Program. Each summer, the interns work under the direction of Museum staff to research potential acquisitions, develop future exhibitions, promote the Museum’s online presence, and organize and document Museum pieces. With majors in art history, anthropology, French and Medieval/Renaissance studies, the interns bring a variety of perspectives to their work at the Museum. Over the course of the summer the interns will visit local museums, meet alumnae and art leaders throughout the region, and take a short trip to New York City, in addition to working on individual and group projects within the Museum.

This year’s intern coordinator, Hannah Townsend, currently serves as the Davis’ Curatorial Research Assistant. The intern coordinator organizes lectures, group activities and outings, and acts as a liaison between the interns and the Davis Museum staff.

“I think that [the Davis summer internship] really gives students the chance to be involved in a working museum environment…it allows for interaction not only with the curators and museum professionals on staff, but also a wider range of art experts,” Townsend said. “They end up getting quite a bit of experience in the various fields they’re working in…the Museum is really able to help foster the learning experience in these specific roles and the product is then a much more professional work that can really benefit both the Museum and the interns themselves.”

This summer, the interns will visit a variety of regional museums such as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The interns will have the opportunity to meet with experts in the art world and receive professional guidance to gain a better understanding of potential careers in the museum field.

Click here to learn more about summer internships at the Davis.