Public Programs Internship Final Paper

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Nicole Smith

Professor Hall

AH520 Internship Report

3 May 2010

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Department of Member and Visitor ServicesPublic Programs Internship

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is one of the worlds most comprehensive art

museums and an establishment that aims to provide its visitors with interesting, unique

and effective ways in which to encounter and appreciate fine art. With over one million

visitors within a year, the MFAs Member and Visitor Services Department plays a

significant role in the museums daily happens and smooth running. It is the

responsibility of this department to oversee operations concerning museum admissions,

membership, accessibility, and public programs. Public Programs is responsible for the

organization and implementation of events and programs within and outside of the

museums including lectures, classes, and films. Under the supervision of Joseph

Guglielmo, House Manager for Public Programs, an intern is able to assist in the

management of program planning, scheduling, logistics and staffing throughout the

museums event spaces.

Most of the events that relate directly to the operations of Public Programs take

place in the Remis Auditorium and the Riley Seminar Room at the museum. Remis

Auditorium is a multifaceted venue that houses approximately 300 guests for purposes

such as film screenings, lectures, demonstrations, concerts and classes. Within an average

week, the space is likely to host events presented by a variety of museum departments,

including the division of Films, Lectures and Courses, and the Department of Education


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and Outreach. While only a handful of attendees may attend an average midday film

screening, other high profile lecturers or film festivals can attract a considerable amount

of attention, leading to sold-out events. The Riley Seminar Room serves as an important

on-site venue for small film screenings, lectures, performances and meetings, and

provides a valuable location for overflow seating for sold out Remis Auditorium events.

Interns in the Member and Visitor Services Department become very familiar with both

of these spaces and understand the important role they play as non-gallery spaces in the

museum. It is vital to have a comprehensive understanding of the rules, regulations,

available facilities, capacity and restrictions of both Remis and Riley in order to gain a

strong sense of the logistical possibilities and limitations of event planning.

While the initial responsibilities of booking of guest lectures, acquiring of film

licenses and designing class courses are the duty and prerogative of their respective

department coordinators, once these engagements have been established in the museum-

wide event programming system a schedule of tentative events will be relayed to the

House Manager. The House manager is responsible for ensuring that these events stay

within time restrictions, are accounted for on all schedules, have an appropriate number

of volunteer ushers available to work, and that all of the rules and regulations of the

museum and auditorium space are observed. Once the event has been approved and all

departments are in agreement, it is added to the Public Programs calendar. This calendar

lists all events that require auditorium use and volunteer usher services within the current

and upcoming months. It is the responsibly of the intern to keep this regularly updated, as

scheduled events are prone to adjustment, cancellation and rescheduling. Early drafts of

monthly schedules should be checked and rechecked often in order to catch any issues


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with event times, such as overlaps or programs that run past the museums open hours.

As upcoming events draw closer, these calendars should be solidified as a reliable source

of programming information.

The Public Programs calendar is a vital resource to not only the House Manager,

but also to the team of volunteer ushers who work taking tickets, seating visitors and

assisting with event services during programs in the auditoriums. It is the responsibility

of the intern to ensure that every volunteer has access to this master calendar and is

readily informed of any updates or amendments. The calendar is emailed to all volunteer

ushers as soon as scheduling information is available and is also posted within the Remis

box office for those volunteers who do not have access to the electronic version. The

intern must instate and maintain a strong line of communication with each usher, as this

is often the primary source of information for these volunteers. It is important to

remember that volunteers do not require (or appreciate) daily reminders or floods of

emails. Usually, a weekly email update covering any changes, schedule issues and/or

requests for coverage is all that is needed to be sure that everyone is up to date and all

events will be staffed. Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of four events per

month. When they receive the electronic calendar from the intern, volunteers are

responsible for choosing which events they are willing and able to staff, and then

communicating these dates and times to the intern. Ushers can either email their shifts to

the intern or sign up on the calendar posted in the box office. These notifications will

come in daily, along with volunteer cancellations, so it is important to keep the calendar

regularly updated.


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An intern working with the Public Programs division of the Member and Visitor

Services Department is not only a vital part of the daily administrative operations of the

department, but also a front-line representative of the museum to visitors. Outside of

calendar updates and volunteer communications, the intern has many responsibilities

outside of the office including understanding and taking on the role of a Public Programs

usher. While learning about the facilities and museum programming, it is also important

to gain an understanding of how events run and which roles each member of the staff

plays in event planning and procedures. Employees at the Fenway and Huntington

entrances and the Remis Box Office are responsible for selling event tickets and

answering general inquires about admissions and events. Department coordinators will

sometimes make an appearance during high profile programs and are responsible for

hosting guest lecturers, attending sound check, communicating with the House Manager

and making sure any and all last minute arrangements are met. The Projection and Media

Manager also plays an important role in meeting the technical needs of events held in the

auditorium. Finally, the volunteer ushers are responsible for greeting visitors, answering

any questions, providing information about the event, checking and receiving tickets,

helping guests find seats and assisting guest with special needs. A Public Programs intern

is the primary liaison between all parties involved, and needs to understand the

responsibilities and relationships between all of these roles. On some occasions the intern

may be asked to step in as a box office representative or volunteer usher. For every event

the intern should strive to be visible and available to all involved and help to maintain the

smooth running of all procedures.


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Here is an idea of what an average day may look like for a Public Programs Intern

at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: First, the intern should report to the House Manger

to check in and receive any immediate updates or assignments. Unless there is an

emergency or information has just been received, these updates and assignments are more

likely to be communicated via email as necessary. Next, it is the responsibility of the

intern to make sure the Programs calendar is up to date and accurate. The calendar should

be updated to reflect any new shift requests or cancellations from volunteer ushers. It is

important to check for any event changes from the House Manager or Program

Coordinators in case there have been any new programs added to the museums

scheduling system. Once the calendar has been updated you should take a look at the

days programming and all events coming up within the week. If any event is under

staffed or still requires volunteer help it is the responsibility of the intern to see that these

shifts are filled. Emailing out the updated calendar with a message highlighting these

openings is usually the best way to bring theses events to the volunteers attention. If no

volunteers are available to work an event the intern and House Manager will need to

stand in as an ushers. The best way to avoid this problem is to make sure that all

volunteers are informed of open shifts well in advance and to keep a close record of those

who have honored their commitment to four events per a month. Other administrative

duties include responding to volunteer related inquires, scheduling new volunteer

interviews and training, ordering new nametags for ushers, and updating usher contacts

lists. About 30-15 minutes before the start of any event in Remis or Riley, you should be

at the auditorium making sure everything is in order. This includes making sure all

technical aspects are in line, ushers are present and ready, and that any ticketing issues


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have been taken care of. Once all staff is ready, the doors to the house are opened and

visitors with tickets will be admitted. The intern need only stay for the first 15 minutes of

any event to be sure that the program is underway. If an issue arises during the run of the

program the House Manager will be contacted in the office. Some days there may be up

to four or five programs, while others may have none. Similarly, some events may attract

only three or four audience members, while others will be completely sold out with

overflow seating. Everyday will be as unique as the programs and audiences the

department serves.

The Public Programs internship is a position that requires administrative ability,

clear communication, organization, strong management and costumer service skills. The

relationship between a Member and Visitor Services intern and other departments such as

the Program Coordinators, Media Technicians, and Volunteer Ushers will ultimately

dictate how well the intern is able to organize and manage the run of an event. The Public

Programs intern acts as the mediator and liaison between each contributor and an active

involvement is vital. Careful planning and clear communication should allow for each

event to run smoothly without constant interjection, however, when unforeseen incidents

arise, the intern should be prepared and able to solve issues on the spot. As a

representative of Member and Visitor Services and the MFA you must always be kind,

courteous and helpful to all museum guests and do your part to ensure that their visit is an

enjoyable experience.

Public Programs Internship Final Paper

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