Sammy Reed ’18

I have been working at The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage through the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship program as the Curatorial and Exhibitions Intern since June 18. Each internship in the program lasts 10 weeks, so I will be working at the Gilb until August 24. 

My main responsibility during the internship has been the curation, design, and installation of a new temporary exhibit celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Santa Anita Race Track (officially Santa Anita Park). The exhibit runs from August 10 to January 4. I have also done some archival work—describing and cataloging items from our collection into a database—and photography for the museum’s education events.

What was the overall work environment and company culture?
The Gilb is a small museum. We have two full-time staff members, two Getty Interns (that’s me!), and somewhere around 60 volunteers. Everyone here is great! We are a tight-knit group who always supports each other if we ever need help with something. 

My Classics major stemmed from a love for Latin (thank you, Mrs. Frazee!), but the field encompasses far more than just ancient languages. It also sprouted an interest in art history, which led to me taking a Museum Studies course with Professor Jim Welu, who served as director of the Worcester Art Museum for decades. I loved the class so much that I decided to pursue a minor in Museum Studies and see if I would like a career in museums.

I always enjoy seeing locals walk through the museum and grow delighted at the history of their city. I have also really liked installing the new exhibit—it keeps me moving.

Mrs. Frazee’s Latin classes were the foundation of my strengths in grammar. Over time—in both high school and college—that developed into writing skills that I am somewhat proud of. My ability to communicate with the correct choice of words, tone, etc. has played and continues to play a large role in my academic and professional developments.

The new skills I have learned or improved include (but are not limited to) networking, public engagement, using unfamiliar databases, safely handling artifacts, and exhibit design. I have also expanded my problem-solving, research, and planning skills beyond what I have learned in school (college or otherwise).

I am very proud of the exhibit I created. Very few projects in my life have taken so much dedicated attention for so long—so far. I am also proud of myself for getting the internship in the first place and choosing to spend my summer working.

The Getty Marrow program facilitates community events for small groups of the interns, allowing us to see behind the scenes of various museums across Los Angeles. After our visit, I gained interest in becoming a registrar (someone who oversees the internal processes of a museum’s art). But to be honest, there are many museum careers I would be happy to pursue, also including archiving, curation, and direction.

Seeing my exhibit coming together piece by piece in physical space was a huge relief for me. The installation not only made the weeks I spent curating and designing the exhibit worth it, but also boosted my confidence in my own creative and professional abilities.