Get to Know the High’s 2024 Summer Interns
Read more about our summer interns and what they’ve learned!
By Brittany Mizell, Coordinator, Public Relations
Each summer, the High brings in a number of interns to learn more about the imperative work we do, understand how they can have a hand in shaping the art world, and, most importantly, gain valuable skills that they’ll carry with them into their future careers. This year, we welcomed Ava Herrin (Community Dialogue and Engagement), Ellen Madson (Creative Services), Hina Ahmed (Institutional Research), and Jack Reed (Culture Collective). As they wrap up their time as interns (and to celebrate National Intern Day!), I asked them a few questions about their experiences at the High.
Meet Ava Herrin
Question: What did you work on while interning at the High this summer, and are there any accomplishments or standout moments to share?
Answer: I worked with the Community Dialogue and Engagement team this summer, specifically in relation to Oasis programming and organizing resources from past partnerships. The Oasis event itself was certainly a standout moment for me.
Q: Why did you want to intern at the High?
A: The High was an amazing chance to experience working in an arts institution and to learn about the behind-the-scenes roles that bring the museum experience to life. Also, having been in the Atlanta area the past few years, I knew I wanted to work in Atlanta this summer and engage with the community of which I’ve been lucky enough to be a part.
Q: What’s one thing you learned about yourself while interning at the High that you’ll bring with you throughout the rest of your career?
A: Through my internship, I have learned how rewarding it is for me to work on projects with a direct community impact. Having now immersed myself in partnerships and seen the value of such relationships, I hope to prioritize community-engaged thinking in my future career.
Q: Each intern worked with a different manager this summer. What is something that you learned from your mentor that you’ll use in your future career?
A: Carlton Mackey (Assistant Director, Community Dialogue and Engagement) has demonstrated the benefits of letting ideas breathe and grow without confining them to predetermined expectations. In doing so, conversations broaden and allow for new things to take shape. That approach to planning and communication is certainly something I will take with me.
Meet Ellen Madson
Q: What did you work on while interning at the High this summer, and are there any accomplishments or standout moments to share?
A: This summer, I had the opportunity to work on several exciting projects including redesigning the printed museum maps, creating preliminary logo designs for the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, and designing a logo and brand identity for the High’s Friday Jazz event. Honestly, the completion of each project felt like a big accomplishment that I am very proud of. I am excited to see how the work I completed here will be utilized going forward.
Q: Why did you want to intern at the High?
A: My interest in wanting to intern at the High came naturally due to my love for art. It was a place I enjoyed visiting a lot as a kid. However, the thing that really made me apply for the internship was a series of projects I completed in my collaborative design class last fall. I completed two projects both centered around the High and even visited the museum in person several times to conduct research, interviews, and meetings. When I saw the opening for the Creative Services internship after finishing my projects, I knew it would be a great opportunity for the work to shine and for everything to come full circle.
Q: What’s one thing you learned about yourself while interning at the High that you’ll bring with you throughout the rest of your career?
A: One thing I’ve learned about myself is that I’m capable of a lot more than I think. I struggled with a lack in confidence in my work over the last few years because I was not accepted into my school’s graphic design program. I had to learn a lot of skills on my own, and I often felt inferior to my peers who were in the program. However, being accepted to this internship, and receiving positive feedback on the work I’ve done here, is extremely reaffirming. I believe understanding your own strengths and weaknesses is important, and I think that confidence can be reflected in your work.
Q: Each intern worked with a different manager this summer. What is something that you learned from your mentor that you’ll use in your future career?
A: I think the greatest thing I’ve learned from my mentor, Angela Jaeger (Assistant Director, Creative Services), this summer is how to design as a part of a larger organization. I’ve created work for my portfolio, school projects, and smaller organizations, but this is my first time designing for an institution of this scale. It has been very informative to go through a detailed design process, from conception to revisions to executions. I also think flexibility is crucial since you typically receive feedback from multiple sources for any given project.
Meet Hina Ahmed
Q: What did you work on while interning at the High this summer, and are there any accomplishments or standout moments to share?
A: I worked with Julia to develop research instruments that would enable the collection and analysis of data that could give us insight into the motivation and perceived value of visitors attending family programs at the High.
Q: Why did you want to intern at the High?
A: Since moving to Atlanta, the High has been one of my favorite places to visit; working here over the summer to do research that would benefit the museum and its visitors was a very exciting opportunity for me.
Q: What’s one thing you learned about yourself while interning at the High that you’ll bring with you throughout the rest of your career?
A: I learned that I am fascinated with the practice of institutional research, art curation, and exhibition design within a museum setting. Also, visiting gallery spaces and learning about some of the best artists in the world is very inspirational for me. I’ve even started drawing in my sketchbook again.
Q: Each intern worked with a different manager this summer. What is something that you learned from your mentor that you’ll use in your future career?
A: Julia Forbes (Associate Director, Institutional Research) has been fantastic. I’ve learned how to meet with stakeholders involved in the data collection process, to organize ideas and information, and to develop interview protocols. Under her tutelage, I have also learned how to do archival research. She really made the job so much easier by organizing the process. I will definitely carry these lessons forward.
Meet Jack Reed
Q: What did you work on while interning at the High this summer, and are there any accomplishments or standout moments to share?
A: This summer, I had the privilege of working alongside the High’s Creative Aging and Lifelong Learning team (CALL). So far, I’ve been working on a reference book of secondary research on topics relating to loneliness and creative aging. The goal of that project is to create a resource for the High and other museums to assist in developing programs for older adults. I have also been able to work with the fantastic Daniel Mantilla (Coordinator, Learning and Civic Engagement) to create lesson plans for future HMA teaching artists. However, my favorite work so far has been working with CALL and other members of the Learning and Civic Engagement team to put on some remarkable public programs — helping out on the Juneteenth Access for All day is certainly a highlight of my summer.
Q: What made you want to pursue a career or education in the arts?
A: I had a great art teacher in high school. He sparked a love for art making and art viewing that has yet to subside. But it wasn’t until I spent the summer after my sophomore year on the High’s Teen Team that I fell in love with arts administration. Since then, public education has been a passion, and I’ve yet to leave it behind.
Q: Why did you want to intern at the High?
A: I’m from metro Atlanta, so the High has always been important to me. Many of the works define my baseline for appreciating art. But generally speaking, I believe in the ability of great art to foster connections between people. Since the High’s collection is really a beacon of great art in the region, its value as a site of community engagement has always been clear to me. Any chance I have in assisting that engagement is a joy and an honor.
Q: Each intern worked with a different manager this summer. What is something that you learned from your mentor that you’ll use in your future career?
A: Laurel Humble (Assistant Director, Creative Aging and Lifelong Learning) is a great manager, and the list of her practices that I hope to emulate is long. Most important among them, however, has been her commitment to her audiences. She has a clear love for the High’s patrons; it comes out both in in-person interactions during public events and behind the scenes when planning experiences for visitors. She has shown me that the best way to expand the reach of the museum is to keep our audiences front of mind and to be bold in our attempts to meet their needs. That is, when ideas are good and worth pursuing, we will find a way to make it happen; we shouldn’t limit ourselves to some preconceived notion of what is possible.
