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Cooper Hewitt-Yogi Kellner-Week 1


Week 1

My first day at the museum was Tuesday, July 9th. I had been to this museum several times before, but it had been at least 5 years since my last visit. As I biked over to dock my CitiBike, I was struck once again by the breathtaking beauty of the mansion that housed the museum. In a city filled with modern and often uninspiring buildings, its architecture never failed to impress me.

Upon entering the mansion, I was warmly greeted by another intern who works at the museum. She kindly gave me a tour of all the different exhibits. My favorite was the exhibit about signs. I was particularly impressed by how they transformed something as common and overlooked as signs into a profound exploration of their significance in our daily lives.

Afterwards, I was introduced to Kim Robledo-Diga, the head of the Education Department where I'll be working during my time at Cooper Hewitt. She introduced me to the entire team in the Education Department and provided an overview of the myriad roles that contribute to running a museum (there are so many different jobs!).

On Wednesday, July 10th, I visited the Cooper Hewitt storage facility, Crozier, located in New Jersey. This facility houses the museum's extensive collection. We had the opportunity to see some truly amazing designs, especially focusing on chairs. The variety and creativity in the chair designs were so impressive that I believe they could warrant an entire exhibit of their own.

Additionally, we visited the conservation department located within the facility. It was fascinating to witness firsthand all the meticulous steps taken by the department to preserve the entire collection.

On Thursday, July 11th, I was introduced to the two people who will be supervising my projects. First, I met Kirsten McNally, the head of Teen Programs in the Education Department. She oversees groups that visit the museum weekly for year-long programs based on the current exhibits.

Next, I met Louisa Hartigan, who manages the K-12 Programs. Her role focuses on coordinating school field trips to the museum, where students engage in hands-on activities for about an hour. Throughout the day, Kirsten and Louisa gave me a detailed overview of their responsibilities. I am very excited to start working on projects with them next week!

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