Thanks to the Wesleyan’s James E. Lieber Art History Internship Fund, the Summer of 2025, I had the opportunity to intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy. The program fueled my passion for accessibility in the arts while allowing me to practice my Italian in a professional capacity. One of my responsibilities was taking advantage of the fully stocked, modern art history library to informed my public talks on the life of the collector, the temporary exhibition, and the works in the collection.
Using cultural mediation techniques, my well researched anecdotes, and my warmest smile, I aimed to use my time with visitors to transform the museum into a more inviting and less intimidating place.
In my second month, I was made a Kids Day coordinator. I brainstormed activities that were implemented into the fall programming, I gave tours to children and led them in art workshops both in Italian and English, and was lucky enough to assist in the Io Vado al Museo (I go to the Museum) initiative which welcomed visitors with migration backgrounds to engage with the Collection, utilizing translanguaging techniques. This internship gave me confidence in my belonging, reaffirmation in the value of my contribution, and furthered my conviction to pursue a future working to make art spaces more accessible.
