What it’s like to intern at the North Museum

It’s important to prepare well for a life in the arts. At PCA&D, the required internship experienceis an important link between your curricular preparations in the visual arts and the myriad ways that training can be applied in real-world employment.

Matthew Kilaresk, Exhibit Manager / Graphic Designer, at Lancaster’s North Museum of Nature and Science, had this to say about Amber Ream, the PCA&D student who interned at the Museum this summer, and all she accomplished:

As a non-profit, the North Museum of Nature and Science offers internship opportunities for students in a variety of fields.  Over the summer of 2015, the Museum welcomed PCA&D Graphic Design intern Amber Ream to our team.She came to us with a wealth of skills, an eagerness to learn, and the strong work ethic required to tackle independent projects. While at the North Museum she developed many projects including fundraising presentation folders, banner posters, thank you cards, and exhibit labels and graphics. Amber’s fresh perspective and the quality of her work exceeded our expectations.The entire Museum staff enjoyed working with Amber and welcomed her input at staff meetings and other employee events. We look forward to seeing where she goes after her final year at PCA&D. We are extremely pleased with the PCA&D internship program and hope to work with PCAD students each year.

Amber, a senior Graphic design major, had this to say about her internship:

I completed an internship at the North Museum of Nature and Science. While there, I was under the direction of Anne Faix and Matthew Kilareski. I was given many assignments from them as well as some smaller jobs for other members of the museum.When I applied for this internship, I was hoping to get a really good experience overall and to walk away with a better portfolio when going into my senior year. But more importantly, I wanted to meet new people, make new friends and help a local museum grow.While at the museum, I had learned so much about the Adobe programs that I did not originally know. They made me feel welcomed and I felt like I was a part of the team and part of their museum family. I got to work with people who weren’t graphic designers and hear their thoughts and ideas to incorporate into my work.

I would encourage other PCA&D students to approach the North Museum and apply for an internship there. But even if they should choose not to go to the North Museum, I would suggest that they really look into the company that they want to work for and ask themselves the following questions.

• What would this internship be like? 
• Will I gain good experiences from here?
• And most importantly… Would I have fun here?

I am very glad to have had the opportunity to work for the North Museum of Nature and Science. I made lots of friends and had a great time. I really enjoyed my experience there and would love to work for them again if the opportunity should arise.