Intern Spotlight: Erika Dedenbach
People & Community
In this series, we profile our interns. Phillips interns are an integral part of the museum and work that we do in several different departments: curatorial, education, music, communications and marketing, and more. Our incredible interns also help with our Sunday Concerts, Phillips after 5, and other special events. This semester welcomed our first group of paid interns, part of our institutional values and commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
Erika Dedenbach, photographed by Kabrea Hayman in front of Kate Shepherd, Red Rabbit, 2010, Oil and enamel on panel, 90 x 50 in. The Phillips Collection, Gift of the artist and Galerie Lelong & CO, NYC
Which department are you interning for?
Registrar
What is your internship project?
I am currently accessioning pieces from the Corcoran Gallery of Art—including many works by Walker Evans, whose work I really admire—into our permanent collection by entering the artwork information into our collection database. I am also updating our collection copyright permission records database, which involves contacting artists and artists’ estates to request use of their work in our institutional materials, and finding copyright information for artworks—I learned that copyright guidelines for artwork is very complicated!
What do you do when you’re not at the Phillips?
Read, create, and visit museums with my adorable nephew around DC. My favorite spots around town include the Hirshhorn, the National Gallery of Art, and the Peacock Room at the Freer Sackler Museum.
What is your favorite space/painting here?
Measures and Signs (Misure e Segni) by Bice Lazzari. I love that she became an artist at a time and place when there were not many women in the field. Her minimalist lines are mesmerizing.
If you were to describe the Phillips in one word, what would that word be?
Intricate. What is a fun fact about you? I lived in Belgium for quite some time after graduation.
Why did you want to intern at a museum?
Art means everything to me. Art has been my passion my entire life—I’ve grown up going to museum with my family, my godfather is a photographer who has taught me about film photography, and I was a double major in studio art and art history. I also love creating ceramics and printmaking.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I am grateful for my experience here at The Phillips Collection and look forward to what the future holds.
