As a training institution we play an essential role in training the next generation of leaders in the arts sector. Our interns have gone on to work in leading art institutions, including QAGOMA, Biennale of Sydney, Museum of Brisbane and National Gallery of Australia. Students learn practical skills from expert staff that make them highly desirable candidates as they pursue opportunities in the sector.
Thanks to the generous support of Blaklash, Ashby Utting, and Paula and Tony Kinnane, our 2024 student interns have the rare opportunity to get a head start in their careers.
This year, there are five new UQ student interns working at the Art Museum continuing alongside second-year Kinnane Curatorial Intern, Sachi Orrock.
We spoke to our new interns, Felicity Andrews, Emily Maloney, Ava Murdoch, Felix Reid, and Braelyn Rolfe-Chase, and asked them to tell us a bit about themselves and their experience so far at UQ Art Museum.
Ava Murdoch: Ashby Utting Arts Administration Intern
The Ashby Utting Arts Administration internship is specifically tailored to students interested in art museum business operations, and was established through the support of Ashby Utting. Ava is in her second year of studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Art History and Communications as well as a Bachelor of Business Management.
What is your previous experience in the arts so far?
In 2022, I received the Creative Generation Excellence Award in Visual Arts, with my art exhibited in GOMA in 2023. Interestingly, this exhibition made me realise how much I wanted to show other people’s art rather than create it myself. We have some very talented artists in Queensland and museums and galleries play a major role in getting their work to the public.
What have been your favourite aspects of your internship so far?
I’ve really enjoyed learning how non-for-profit organisations operate, as I’ve only ever worked in for-profit businesses before. My dream job is to run my own gallery or help run a gallery, so the administration skills I learn here will be particularly applicable for my future career.
Felicity Andrews: Kinnane Programming Intern
Felicity is a Master of Museum Studies Student at UQ and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Art History. Felicity’s internship is supported through generosity of Paula and Tony Kinnane, whose legacy through an $8 million endowment for the arts at UQ has changed the lives of many UQ students.
What are you hoping to learn in this role?
I am passionate about the intersections between art and education and the capacity for art to communicate big ideas in accessible and approachable ways. My first project is developing educational materials to support our first program, and I am really looking forward to learning how to create engaging experiences for audiences that will allow them to think critically about the world around them.
How will you be able to apply those skills in your career?
Being part of the programming cycle from start to finish has been invaluable! Especially having hands-on experience every step of the way. This will no doubt equip me with a well-rounded skillset for a future career in public programs.
The UQ Art Museum also provides a unique context for learning, because as part of the university campus, we can engage with audiences from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. This is particularly relevant to my interest in a career in arts education.
Emily Maloney: Kinnane Registration Intern
Emily is in the final year of her Master of Museum Studies. She also works part-time at Moreton Bay City Council museums. Emily’s internship is also supported through the Kinnane Endowment.
Can you tell us a bit about your experience at the UQ Art Museum so far?
My experience here at the Art Museum has already exceeded my expectations. Joining such a supportive and experienced team I feel I’ve been able to really hit the ground running. My internship is divided equally between working on loans and acquisitions, and collection storage and handling. This has been fantastic, as I’ve come to understand the breadth of skills and knowledge required to manage all the moving parts of the registration department.
What do you love about connecting people with art?
I love art’s ability to teach us about ourselves and others. Through my internship, I have witnessed the importance of the registration team's role in ensuring access to art works that can connect, challenge, and inspire. The ability to contribute to this is what drives my passion for registration and collections work.
Felix Reid: Kinnane Programming Intern
Felix is in their third year of a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Anthropology and Art History. Felix’s internship is also supported through the Kinnane Endowment.
What have been your favourite aspects of your internship so far?
I have loved learning from new people who have a wealth of knowledge in their fields. While my internship has a key focus on public programs, I have been able to collaborate with many other teams within the museum. It has been wonderful to be provided the space and support to dive into research and mould projects under the advice of the teams around me.
What are you hoping to learn in this role?
Whilst I have previous experience working in events, I’m looking forward to engaging with the conceptual development stages of public programs, such as thinking about audience, education, accessibility, resource management and impact.
This is especially valuable as the UQ Art Museum is situated within a learning institution. This is such a unique context to work within and the experiences I gain here will be incredibly useful for my future career in the arts sector.
Braelyn Rolfe-Chase: Blaklash Curatorial Intern
Braelyn is a proud Ngugi Woman from the Quandamooka Peoples’ of Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) and Minjerribah/Terangerri (North Stradbroke Island). Braelyn is the inaugural Blaklash Curatorial Intern, a new opportunity generously supported by the Aboriginal design studio, Blaklash, founded by Troy Casey and Amanda Hayman. Braelyn is in her second year and studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Aboriginal Studies and Journalism.
What have been your favourite aspects of your internship so far?
Some of my favorite aspects so far have been the knowledge and learnings that I have gained from research into renowned First Nations artists and their works in the UQ Art Collection. I’ve loved the people and friends that I have connected with as well, but I think most of all I’ve loved the learnings, teachings and time spent with Aunty Freja Carmichael. I feel unbelievably privileged to be mentored by a strong Ngugi Aunty, especially in an institutional space. I really love this because the curatorial knowledge that I am learning is also strengthened by the cultural epistemologies that are passed and storied to me by Aunty Freja in our shared belongings as Ngugi women.
How will you be able to apply those skills in your career?
I want to learn these knowledges so that I can integrate them into my work at Munimba-Ja Arts Centre and provide my community with such knowledge and skills that we systemically don’t regularly have access to. The knowledge, research and skills that I have learnt so far have already begun to do just this. I am excited because everything that I learn from this experience will guide me into further opportunities and employment in the future, and has already begun to shape what I see myself doing, and how I see myself contributing back to my communities. And I’m really grateful for that, because it's teaching me what I love to do, and how I can integrate art into my obligations back to the people and places that raised me.
