Sophia Wei ’23 speaks about her Museum of Art Internship

During the past academic year, I had the pleasure of working at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art as a Student Curatorial Intern, where I focused on a special research project that delved into the history of the Museum. Throughout my internship, I worked closely with co-director Anne Collins Goodyear, an invaluable mentor and educator who always offered me guidance and prioritized my learning. This internship has been extremely rewarding and allowed me to gain a closer look into the museum world.

One of the goals was to create a timeline for the museum. In the fall, I begun to conduct my research through looking at past annual reports from Museum directors since the 1940s to present; reading many essays and catalogues such as the Personal Recollections of Philip Beam; as well as compiling more recent data on past exhibitions since 2007. This project also allowed me to speak to members of the Museum and College staff who have been at the Bowdoin for many years, who helped me to document significant events, time frames, and useful anecdotes. This timeline, which will be posted by the Museum on its website in coming weeks, is and always will be a work in progress, as staff and future interns can add and amend to the document as history continues to write and rewrite itself. 

While exploring the Museum's timeline offered valuable insights into its history, enabling a better understanding and contextualization of its present, I recognized the importance of considering the Museum's current role within the broader Bowdoin ecosystem, particularly from the students' perspective. After all, it is an academic art museum that aims to educate and serve its students. With the help of Anne Collins Goodyear, Christina Finneran, Senior Vice President for Institutional Research, Analytics, and Consulting, Sean Kramer, the Andrew W. Mellon Post-Doctoral Curatorial Fellow, Casey Mesick Braun, the Museum’s curator, various professors, and the Student Museum Ambassadors, I conducted a mixture of oral interviews and online surveys assessing students’ level of engagement, preferences, and suggestions for improving the museum experience. The results were the first tangible record of students' perceptions and helped to bridge a crucial gap in our understanding. We were happy to find that students feel engaged with the Museum and were also glad to hear great suggestions for future programming.

In addition to the larger projects, I was able to lend my support in various fields during my internship. From helping at events such as Student Night at the Museum and various receptions to assisting with case labels for the Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable exhibit, I truly learned so much by working there. I would highly recommend this internship to students who are looking to engage more actively with the Museum, where one can see and experience first-hand the different tasks and roles within a museum, and work with compassionate and supportive people in a collaborative and inspiring environment. In addition, it is a fantastic complement to the liberal arts education that Bowdoin offers, where one can apply their skills and interest in academia and more importantly gain practical skills and insight into the museum field.

As I conclude my internship, I am filled with immense gratitude for the opportunity to have worked with such amazing individuals and contributed to the growth of the BCMA. This experience has not only strengthened my passion for the arts but also deepened my understanding of museums. I am very thankful for the support of Anne Collins Goodyear, the BCMA, and Bowdoin College in providing this incredible opportunity and for instilling in me a profound appreciation for the arts. It has been an honor to be part of this transformative journey, and I look forward to witnessing the continued success and growth of the Museum.

Sophia Wei ’23
Academic Year Student Intern
Bowdoin College Museum of Art