High up on a mast lift in a gallery at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, lighting and fabrications technician Jake Ludemann adjusts a spotlight to shine on a gilded 15th-century Spanish altarpiece. He knows that lighting transforms art, drawing the eye into it and setting the mood with a play of light and dark. For five years, he has been a part of the museum’s lighting team and has put his hands on every light fixture in the building. It’s a job he loves but one he could never have imagined doing until going through the Durwood Internship program during the summer of his junior year at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI).
“I was a sculpture student and part of my work was lighting and sound based, so I thought the lighting internship would be interesting. I approached it with a willingness to learn, worked my tail off and gradually discovered more about how lighting can enhance the museum experience. About 75 percent into the internship I knew that this was what I wanted to do,” said Ludemann.
The internship program was established in 2010 by the Stanley H. Durwood Foundation. According to Charles Egan, Durwood Foundation trustee, “We started the internships to encourage collaboration between the Nelson-Atkins and KCAI, and to give students hands-on practical work experience in a museum setting. This partnership bridges two of Kansas City’s best institutions.”
Since inception, there have been 194 internships, and this year 25 students are working in 15 areas of the museum including East Asian art, exhibition design and marketing communications. Students must apply for a position, receive a recommendation from KCAI faculty and go through a formal interview process. Once accepted, they receive $12 per hour for their work. The opportunity for students to intern at the Nelson-Atkins is exciting on its own, but getting paid for their work makes this an extremely popular and competitive experience.
According to Steven Waterman, the Nelson-Atkins director of design and experience, students working at the museum bring a youthful perspective that can shake up traditional ways of operating. “Interns are the future of the working community. If we pay attention and listen to what’s important to them, it has the potential to change the work environment and the ways we communicate. It’s really been an exciting part of the internship program.”
Bambi Burgard, KCAI executive vice president of academic affairs, said the program has provided students with a competitive advantage when applying to graduate school programs and professional positions. “The Durwood Internship program has been incredibly meaningful to our students because it has provided them with career-shaping professional experiences in a world-class museum setting. This opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they are gaining through their rigorous studio and liberal arts courses is truly unique in an undergraduate program.”
Ludemann, who now manages his own interns, offers the following advice for students considering a Durwood internship, “If you work hard, engage in the material and make connections, it will definitely give you a leg up post-college.”
And like Ludemann, it just might send them down an unexpected, rewarding career path.
About the Kansas City Art Institute
Located in Kansas City, Mo. at 4415 Warwick, KCAI is a private, independent four-year college of art and design awarding the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with 13 studio majors. KCAI also offers a post-baccalaureate program in art education, certificate programs and continuing education courses. Founded in 1885, KCAI is Kansas City’s oldest arts organization. For more, visit www.kcai.edu.
–Kathy St. Clair
