What Are You Working On? The Studio Museum in Harlem’s Summer 2026 Interns Reflect

Kayley Chery, Public Programs Intern

I have been working behind the scenes on the Artist-in-Residence Open Studios, Juneteenth Community Day, Museums As Systems, and Uptown Fridays programming! My daily tasks involve sitting in on meetings with speakers and talent for upcoming events, interdepartmental meetings, independent research, intern side quests like trips to other museums, professional development talks, and my favorite of all, prepping and supporting events. As a native New Yorker born and raised in Harlem, it was important for me to work at a cultural institution that has events that directly interact with Harlem residents.

I also enjoyed our intern talk with the Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator, where we asked questions about her career trajectory. Seeing that she took time out of her day to talk with us shows how our roles as interns were valued at the Studio Museum despite our limited time here!

Kayley’s Collection Pick: Jacob Mason-Macklin, Nirvana's Beneath the Pavement, 2022.

It's an oil painting on linen that looks like a frame of 125th Street and Amsterdam Avenue frozen in time. As someone who went to high school in that area, I recognized the corner right away and the longer I stared at it, different details like the praying mat or the MTA bus decals stuck out to me, further bringing me into this frozen moment in time.

Aubrey Gallafent, Registrar Intern

As the Registrar Intern, I worked to support the Head Registrar, Database Management team, and the Collections team. My daily goals revolve around digital and physical file management, and I cycle through a variety of tasks to achieve the goal of preserving a record for the history of artists, artworks, and their relationship to the Studio Museum. In addition to record-keeping, I have been working on an inventory of exhibition property. 

Aubrey’s Collection Pick: Firelei Báez, Elegant gathering in a secluded garden (or the many bridges we crossed), 2018.

The most impactful experience that I have had with a work in the collection was with former artist in residence Firelei Báez’s work. I first saw her work at a gallery that the interns attended as a group. The works in that show were transfixing, and her use of color and transparency to portray female figures is very powerful. I was excited to then see this work in the Studio Museum’s collection.

Nina Jeffries-El, Graphic Intern

As the Graphic Design Intern, I have been involved in so many different kinds of design work. I have assisted the Museum’s Graphic Designer, Tiffany Tong, on exciting branding projects like Uptown Fridays; supported the design for this year’s Expanding the Walls exhibition; and had the opportunity to work on exhibition didactics for the Museum’s fall exhibitions. Graphic design in museums isn’t just label or exhibition design; design work is being done behind the scenes that is unexpected. My favorite part of working at the Museum and in the Communications Department specifically has been the people. Everyone on the team is so welcoming and they made my summer.

Nina’s Collection Pick: David Hammons, Untitled, 2024.

The iconic David Hammons's flag, Untitled (2004), was one of my first introductions to the Studio Museum. When I walk from the train station, it’s the landmark I use to know I’m close to the Museum. It is such an important piece because it is not only a symbol for arriving at the Studio Museum itself, but also at its mission: the place where Black art lives. Hammons's flag has also inspired me as a graphic designer because it has shown me how important messaging and communication are, and the necessity of symbols and representation in Black art.

Mbali McCluskey, Learning & Engagement Intern

Working with the Learning & Engagement Department this summer has been great! My objective was to shadow Museum Educators while they conducted school group tours. I also represented the Museum at public tabling and engagement events like NYC Kids Fest and Harlem Pride. My day-to-day changed once Expanding the Walls shifted into its summer schedule. Their curriculum ranges from visits to other museums and archives, and photo walks and workshops with the artists in residence. As an intern, I really enjoyed our Studio Museum Institute outing to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

My long-term goal is to build a career in museum education and community engagement. Through this internship I have identified that I would like to work as a program coordinator within an education department. I will be heading to New York University's graduate program in Museum Studies this fall, where I hope to continue thinking through ways of strengthening partnerships between museums, schools, and communities. 

Mbali’s Collection Pick: Yinka Shonibare, Hopscotch, 2000.

I found myself very drawn to the sculptural works in the collection, particularly Hopscotch (2000) by Yinka Shonibare, because it transforms a familiar childhood game into an invitation to consider identity, global trade, and post-colonialism. I love the ambiguity and interconnectedness of the figures, and the movement, colors, and textures of the Ankara textiles.

Gabrielle Mitchell-Bonds, Curatorial Intern

One of my tasks has been compiling a weekly list of global exhibitions that feature work by artists of African descent. Through in-depth research and editing, I also write biographies on artists in the collection, mostly focusing on former artists in residence. This has allowed me to assess artists' careers before, during, and after their time at the Museum, while also translating their conceptual and technical practices for a general audience using an institutional voice. Lastly, I assisted the Curatorial Fellows with organizing the library and implemented a new cataloguing system to make these materials more accessible.

Part of what I have loved about this internship is learning about the Museum’s history and seeing moments that are documented in the archive. Using my knowledge of the Museum’s collection and past exhibitions, it’s been exciting to see and identify examples of work across the city by artists who previously participated in the residency.

Gabrielle’s Collection Pick: Norman Lewis, Blue and Boogie, 1974.

For Blue and Boogie, Lewis was inspired by the sounds of Harlem nights and street life, and the rhythms of jazz. I love the painting for its rich blue and how the circular forms seem to vibrate as they expand across the canvas. Sound, musical or otherwise, has been precious to my own appreciation of Harlem and the rich bustle of the summer.

Raghav Raj, Development Intern

With the Development team, I’ve been able to work across the department and learn about several different aspects of fundraising at the Museum. Some projects I’ve worked on involve conducting in-depth research on prospective individual, institutional, and corporate donors; maintaining and updating information in the Museum’s databases; building out previews for our upcoming exhibitions; and analyzing other institutions’ annual reports to determine how we can better present the Museum’s impact to potential donors. It has been a profoundly eye-opening and deeply rewarding experience.

Throughout my time at the Studio Museum, I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of learning with and getting to know this cohort of interns, all of whom are so remarkable, thoughtful, intelligent, and passionate about the work they’re doing, in the Museum and beyond.

Raghav’s Collection Pick: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bayou, 1984.

I thought about this piece a lot, especially after reading Greg Tate’s 1989 essay “Flyboy in the Buttermilk”, which is about Basquiat and his legacy. I found myself taken aback by how the geographies and histories Basquiat was working with all seem to slash, smear, and splatter across the canvas, juxtaposing dark-skinned hands and green branches, trophies and multiplication tables, wastewater and light. It’s an eerie, haunting assemblage of language and imagery and seeing it up in the galleries froze me dead in my tracks.

Logan Simmons, Director's Office

I've been working on long-term presentations for the Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator and the Chief of Staff. One project that stuck with me the most was working on the Chief of Staff’s presentation for the Association of African American Museum Conference. I also helped the Senior Coordinator of Administration & Special Projects by curating articles for the Museum’s weekly internal newsletters. Coming in, I wasn't expecting to learn how to write in an institutional voice, but I've had the opportunity to learn how to write on behalf of the Museum.

My favorite part about working at Studio Museum is the community! It's been lovely getting to know people in the office—through coffee chats, visits to other institutions, or public programs. Our intern cohort is amazing!

Zaryah Qareeb, Communications Intern

As the Communications Intern, my work has been split between working with publications and the Museum's social media channels. A large chunk of the work I've contributed has revolved around Through Motion and Repose: Expanding the Walls 2026. I researched publications and pitched art journalists, inviting them to experience exhibitions and events such as Uptown Fridays. I also created a database of content creators for potential collaboration with the Museum, tracked and organized press clippings related to exhibitions and events, drafted captions for social media, and assisted with filming artist talks for Instagram Reels. It was great seeing how an institution develops relationships with editors and influencers, and how those in the art ecosystem interacts with each other. Lastly, I worked on this article by collecting and editing all the interns’ responses.

Zaryah’s Collection Pick: Jordan Casteel, Kevin the Kiteman, 2016.

Created by an Artist-in-Residence alumni, this piece embodies my relationship with Harlem. I love subtle humor—something we don’t often see in contemporary art. Working in Harlem throughout the summer, I met so many individuals who have added joy to my daily life. Casteel's portraits are comforting and represent the energy of working at the Studio Museum.