September 25, 2023
This summer, The Frick Collection’s internship program continued in full force at its temporary home, Frick Madison. Across the museum and library, interns assisted with the work of different departments, undertook independent projects, and learned about career paths in the arts. They also enjoyed a slate of activities and outings designed to give them a complete view of not only the Frick, but also of the museum and cultural world in New York City. Below, read some of our interns’ reflections on their experiences this summer.
Learn about our internship program and find postings for future internship opportunities on our Careers page.
Explore more content in an intern-produced video on our YouTube channel, a related blog post on the combined research project of the Frick Art Reference Library’s summer interns, and new additions to our intern gallery talk video series, Closer Look.
What was your favorite intern activity?
For most of my life, I had only considered museum education or conservation as the departments that would allow me greater intimacy with the memory and materiality of objects. Our tour of Sotheby’s this summer changed that for me. Meeting Daria—a former Ayesha Bulchandani Intern at the Frick—to learn about her experience as a cataloguer was truly inspiring. Daria’s discussion of the provenance and repatriation research being done at Sotheby’s resonated with my passion for preserving the lived history of objects. Because of this visit, I am aware of a new career path that not only prioritizes the stories imbued in artworks, but the people whose journeys with artworks remain unfinished.
—Edie Paczkowski, Ayesha Bulchandani Undergraduate Curatorial Intern
My favorite intern activity was the field trip to the Center for Book Arts. It was our first time going out together as a group, and it felt really special getting to work together on creating prints. And the process of using the OG printing technology was cool!
—Julia Noll, Library Administration Intern
My favorite activities were our field trips, where we learned about different pathways in the art world. Sotheby’s was my favorite visit, as we got to directly engage with art and even observe material qualities.
—Yasemin Aykan, Ayesha Bulchandani Graduate Curatorial Intern
My favorite intern activity was our group visit to the Grolier Club. It was such a unique space that I know I would never have found on my own. The staff gave us such an excellent introduction to the Club’s library and their current exhibition, which left me eager to come back.
—Kelsey Carroll, Communications & Marketing Intern
If you were giving a tour of Frick Madison, which gallery would you make sure to visit?
The porcelain room!
—Yasemin Aykan, Ayesha Bulchandani Graduate Curatorial Intern
I would make sure to visit the Early Italian Gallery. I love the use of gold in each panel painting, and the age of each work is unbelievable. I have a love of all things medieval and Early Renaissance, so showing off this gallery would be a must.
—Kelsey Carroll, Communications & Marketing Intern
Definitely the third floor! You get the best of many worlds, from Northern Indian carpets to fourteenth-century Italian temperas.
—Edie Paczkowski, Ayesha Bulchandani Undergraduate Curatorial Intern
The Fragonards on the fourth floor.
—Julia Noll, Library Administration Intern
What song or music best encapsulates the Frick to you?
“Experience” by Ludovico Einaudi
—Julia Noll, Library Administration Intern
Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1
—Yasemin Aykan, Ayesha Bulchandani Graduate Curatorial Intern
While it may be unrelated to the collection, my morning commute always involved listening to “Buggin’ Out” by A Tribe Called Quest. I now associate that song with the excitement I felt coming to work at the Frick!
—Edie Paczkowski, Ayesha Bulchandani Undergraduate Curatorial Intern
What is your favorite work in the collection?
One of my favorite works in the collection is Purification of the Temple by El Greco. El Greco uses such signature colors that always make his works stand out next to their counterparts, and this painting contains a unique combination of pinks, greens, and yellows that is truly striking.
—Kelsey Carroll, Communications & Marketing Intern
My favorite work in the collection is James McNeill Whistler’s Harmony in Pink and Grey: Portrait of Lady Meux.
—Edie Paczkowski, Ayesha Bulchandani Undergraduate Curatorial Intern
Fragonard’s Progress of Love series
—Yasemin Aykan, Ayesha Bulchandani Graduate Curatorial Intern
Harbor of Dieppe: Changement de Domicile by Joseph Mallord William Turner
—Julia Noll, Library Administration Intern
What is your biggest takeaway from your internship?
Spend time getting to know the people that you work with! The relationships that I made this summer were the most rewarding part of the internship for me.
—Julia Noll, Library Administration Intern
This internship opened my eyes to just how many different people make up the “behind-the-scenes” of every museum operation. I loved assisting with communications and marketing because I got to see firsthand how information about upcoming events or exhibitions makes its way to the public, and I got to see how each department works together to bring everything to fruition. This internship truly strengthened my already strong passion for working in museums!
—Kelsey Carroll, Communications & Marketing Intern
There is a tremendous amount of scholarship and work that goes into curating an exhibition. I learned a lot about how all the departments work together to create novel experiences for the visitors.
—Yasemin Aykan, Ayesha Bulchandani Graduate Curatorial Intern
The highlight of my experience at the Frick was writing and delivering my Closer Look talk on Carpet with Trees, which enabled me to work with the decorative arts and with artworks outside the Western canon, both of which I had been relatively unfamiliar with. But most of all, this summer I was lucky to be part of a robust and compassionate community. When I expressed an interest in learning about conservation, the Conservation Department put me in contact with different labs that I was able to tour. After experiencing a bout of imposter syndrome, one of my Education colleagues took me under her wing during our Career Lunch and provided me with strategies for cultivating self-confidence in the workplace. I feel proud to have been part of an institution as warm and exceptional as the Frick.
—Edie Paczkowski, Ayesha Bulchandani Undergraduate Curatorial Intern
