Internship exists in all industries, taken from the long tradition of the mentoring system. The hard part is for the skilled to tutor the young beings the ways of the jungle, at the end of the term, being able to take away with them the fishing rod as well as some fish. Not just the exploitation of young flesh and free labor (as we like to say it, young fresh liver, yes because liver is the organ you exploit when you out do yourself), nor is it a after school nursery for inapt youngsters.
Two internships that I am undertaking (undertook) is very different, mainly due to the nature of the institutes. It was very interesting comparison looking from inside out. The first, a national museum directly managed by the government under federal funding, housing a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of artifacts and art works, with hundreds of staff, not counting the extremely professional volunteers that roam the museum halls. Being an intern there is like a bee at Paddy's Market, you fly around, watch, try not to be squashed while hopefully be able to steal something from the whole experience.
Internship 2 is a quiet established art prize, yet the whole operation from collecting entries, putting together judging sessions, hosting panels, news conference, online exhibition, touring exhibition, all being run by one person (plus one or two interns) out of her office in her home, which is wildly astonishing.
I guess what one can really take from these two extreme examples are that the art world is extremely flexible, it can be hugely complicated and sophisticated, or it can be very simple and efficient. They both aren't the norm of what we consider as art institutes, which is what I find these experience both immensely interesting yet very frustrating at the same time.
ok I really don't know how to write a blog and talk to my make believe readers
I noticed that I might sound like a twat
will try to be more light hearted next post
