Teens working with Senior Photographer Bruce Schwarz in The Photograph Studio. Photographs by Maureen Coyle
«Most people are attracted to the Met for the art, but what happens behind the scenes captivates me far more. Not many people are given the opportunity to see the way the Museum works behind closed doors, but I was lucky enough to get that chance, and I now have a deeper love for the Museum and all of the work that goes into making it one of the best.»
My interest in how the Museum works started when I interned here during my junior year of high school. Based on my interests at the time, I was placed in the Education Department, where I worked with the people who make the Museum a place visitors can come to enjoy the Met's collection through different events and activities. I got to hear about different ideas for those programs and events, which cater to people of all ages, from the large-scale teen nights to the individualized internship opportunities. There are many different ways to connect with the Museum.
Garry Winogrand (American, 1928–1984). El Morocco, New York, 1955. Gelatin silver print; 23.5 x 33.7 cm (9 1/4 x 13 1/4 in.). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Gift, 1992 (1992.5107) © The Estate of Garry Winogrand, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
I also participated in the 2014 Digital Stories: Photography and Blogging workshop, which focused on the Garry Winogrand exhibition, and learned about the range of people who work at the Met. I met staff from various departments who work with photography, including a curator, a freelance event photographer, a senior photographer in The Photograph Studio, and one of the Met's lawyers.
Photograph Conservation Fellow Jana Krizanova shows teens how photograph printing involves chemistry in the Photograph Conservation Lab
If you ever find yourself doubting that you could work in a museum, don't. No matter what you're interested in, as long as you have a passion for art, there's a place for you!