Janie Booth, ‘19: Peggy Guggenheim Collection Internship

About the Artist

Janie holds a BA in Art History from Duke University, where she graduated with honors for her thesis on archival practices in contemporary art. Prior to her graduation, Janie interned at the Nasher Museum of Art and worked as a work-study assistant in the museum’s development department. She also participated in StudioDuke and BassConnections, as well as the Presidential Art Advisory Committee.

About the Project

As an intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, I gained a first-hand look into how a museum is run, as well as familiarity with an important collection of modern art. My duties included giving private tours of the collection, managing the galleries during opening hours to the public, and assisting visitors and participation in the educational activities of the museum, including presentations to the public and workshops with children. As an intern I also took part in educational activities such as seminars, conferences, educational trips and guided tours of other museums in Italy.

Support from the Benenson Award for the Arts enabled me to travel to Italy and learn about museum work from one of the most highly regarded collections of modern art in the world. My Italian language skills were strengthened, as well as my knowledge of modern and contemporary art history. I also was able to travel to Florence and see the Uffizi Gallery, an institution I have learned in-depth about in my ‘Art of Renaissance Italy’ courses and language classes. The opportunity to see Italy for the first time definitely shaped my understanding of art and culture, and prepared me for success upon graduation from Duke in May.

Now, I am working at an art advising firm in Boston which helps place contemporary art in private collections around the world. My role as a Research Assistant draws upon my experiences at the Nasher and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and so far has been an exciting new adventure in the art world.