Internship Spotlight with Nuria Lizarraga
Nuria Lizarraga, BFA ‘23 recently completed an internship at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston where she worked as a Stewardship Intern in the Development Office. Nuria sat down with us over Zoom to tell us a bit about stewardship in a museum setting.
Can you start by telling me a little bit about your interests at SMFA and beyond?
At SMFA, I’ve always been interested in printmaking, painting, and illustration, but part of me wanted to explore the administrative side of art via museums. My interest piqued because I’m part of a co-ed fraternity and act as the Alumni Chair. That role involved a lot of external outreach and I gained a lot of knowledge from that. I wanted to apply what I had learned within my fraternity to a more professional museum setting. My interviewers at the museum saw how that skill was transferable to the sort of skills that would be needed in the internship.
Can you explain what stewardship means in the museum setting?
In the museum setting, stewardship includes maintaining correspondence and communications with donors and benefactors. We want to make sure that their funds are being allocated according to their intention when they gave the gift and that they feel accommodated overall. It is our job to make sure the institution honors the gift agreement, and we want to make sure donors are happy with the experience so they continue to give to the museum in order to ensure the institution is as strong as it can be. A lot of stewardship comes down to relationship building.
How did you obtain your internship?
I applied directly through the MFA Boston website. I knew I wanted to work at the MFA specifically, so I kept track of when they would be announcing internships. I was literally refreshing the job postings page the day I knew they were being posted because I wanted to apply as soon as I could to express my interest.
What was a day in the life of your internship?
I worked two to three days a week, from nine to five on Tuesdays and Thursdays and nine to one on Fridays. On a full day, I would show up, get to my work area, say good morning, debrief about our weekends, check emails, and start working on the projects. Some of the projects could include writing correspondences to donors. Something along the lines of a thank you and letting them know that their gift had been used to support a specific upcoming exhibition. We would invite them to come see the exhibition and engage with it. I helped write and create the annual report, the Year in Review, for the fiscal year. This annual review highlighted shows, promotions, people we’ve moved into endowed positions, and generally, what good things happened at the museum thanks to people’s donations. Every Thursday, we had a team meeting. I worked very closely with my mentors. Every Friday, from noon to 2:00 pm, all the interns would meet and enjoy speakers from different parts of the museum. It was great learning about all the different career paths available to museum professionals. That was extremely valuable because I learned about what people do in different departments, and I’m not sure I would have been able to get that knowledge elsewhere.
Tell me about a project you worked on during your internship that was your favorite, the most challenging, or the most exciting.
The Year in Review was a monster of a project to take on, but I loved doing it. I had to email a lot of people in different departments of the museum, asking them for details. I got to see behind-the-scenes photos, which were so fascinating. I never knew so much went into art conservation. I was able to understand the financial side of the museum and how funds are allocated. Seeing the specifics helped me understand why donors are so important to the institution.
What was the best new skill you learned?
Reaching out. Reaching out is something that seems so intimidating, but it was very encouraged. There was a lot I did not know, and I was always encouraged to ask questions and get more information from my colleagues. Everyone in the museum is very nice and approachable. It helped me overcome my fear of asking for help.. My mentors were super helpful, and they were very receptive and were able to help me a lot and helped me grow.
How did your studio art skills help you at your internship?
Painting, drawing, and illustration are different than Excel spreadsheets, but I feel like my studio art practice has given me a strong attention span and a lot of patience. I was able to sit there and stay focused on what I was doing and not get distracted. I enjoyed working on the projects because it felt meditative while listening to a podcast or music.
How will you translate your work experience to your studies?
My internship experience has given me more clarity on what I want to do in the future. Right now, I’m considering different paths, but my internship made me open to pursuing graduate school in Museum Education at Tufts. I have a passion for art, but over time that passion has gone from creating art to art administration, specifically development.
What was surprising or delightful about your internship?
It was very positive for me to witness and experience how much of a community the museum is. I was scared that it would be a pretentious or gate-keeping space, but it was so warm and friendly. People always wanted to get to know each other and that caught me off guard in the best way possible.
How do you see the next steps in your professional career unfolding?
I plan to apply to graduate school, but I’m open to other opportunities as well. I would be open to working in administration in galleries and museums.
Header image credit: Nuria Lizarraga
