91暗网

I鈥檝e always felt at home in museums, and as a student at 91暗网, I found a home away from home at the .  

As the 2023-24 Eleanor Linder Winter Endowed Intern at the Tang, I worked with contemporary art and artists, witnessed the inner workings of the museum, and assisted with long- and short-term curatorial projects. Of all the ways I鈥檝e been involved with the Tang during my time at 91暗网, the Winter Internship has given me the most. Over the summer, I鈥檝e been giving back.  

The Tang gives its the freedom to create their own capstone project, a unique opportunity to turn an original idea into something tangible. Previous interns have ; organized film series; and prepared educational resources on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.  

For my project, I鈥檓 creating an interactive, self-paced visitor鈥檚 guide to the Tang. The booklet, which will be available at the museum鈥檚 front desk, will offer a series of writing and drawing prompts that ask visitors to slow down, observe, react, and engage. 

A teaching museum 

The Tang is an exemplar of a teaching museum: It's a dynamic space where learning happens formally and informally, independently and collaboratively.   

I鈥檓 designing my booklet to align with the museum's teaching mission. The open-endedness and interactivity of my capstone project is intended to be accessible to a wide audience.  

I鈥檓 working on my capstone in the Tang鈥檚 curatorial department; however, the process draws upon what I鈥檝e learned inside and outside the museum in recent years. Being an art history and English double major at 91暗网 has strengthened my research and writing skills. I鈥檝e been a summer intern in the Tang鈥檚 public programming department and a , an experience that helped me to think carefully about how to engage with diverse audiences and to meet visitors where they are.  

I鈥檝e also been a member of the . Members take on a leadership role within the museum, advising staff on student engagement. Members also get to organize an exhibition in the Hyde Cabinet, a student-curated display space. 

During the summer of 2023, I purchased a D.C. license plate on eBay and exhibited it in the . As a native of Washington, D.C, I鈥檝e always been keenly aware of the city鈥檚 fight for statehood. D.C. license plates include the slogan 鈥淭axation Without Representation,鈥� which refers to the fact that city residents pay taxes, but do not have a voting representative in Congress. With the help of the Tang鈥檚 curatorial team, I wrote a descriptive wall label. I also created an educational chapbook.  

I learned how a museum exhibition comes to be by making one of my own. This experience also allowed me to showcase a part of my identity I鈥檓 proud of and to educate people on a cause that is important to me.   

My capstone project 

In my capstone project, I want to encourage visitors to think about their museum experience on three levels 鈥� artwork, exhibition, and museum 鈥� by looking closely at a single object, forming connections between objects in the same exhibition, and considering the work a museum does. In doing so, I hope to reveal the contributions of the artists, curators, architects, designers, and installers who make a museum experience possible.  

Central to my project is the contribution of the museumgoer. Each visitor enters a museum with their own assumptions, experiences, and imaginations. The booklet empowers visitors to engage with the museum on their own terms, at their own pace, and in their own way.  

To fit with the Tang鈥檚 frequent , the guide will emphasize skills, like close looking, instead of specific works of art or exhibitions. This feature allows the booklet to be used, reused, and replicated. (It could even be used beyond the Tang!)  

The booklet鈥檚 language, design, and format are intended to be equally accessible and engaging for an audience that is diverse in age, background, and museum-going experience.  

My research process has included exploring existing resources at other museums, talking with educators at peer institutions, and shadowing current Tang Guides. I鈥檝e read extensively about the relationship between art and social-emotional learning, object-based learning, and museumgoers鈥� range of motivations.

I鈥檓 proud to be creating something that comes out of the Tang鈥檚 mission as a teaching museum and that will continue it, providing visitors and students alike with a useful tool for discovering new ways of looking at art, the museum, and the world. 

Abigail Svetlik '24

2023-24 Eleanor Linder Winter Endowed Intern