Meet Our Summer 2021 Interns

Meet our summer 2021 interns! We look forward to sharing some of the great work they have been doing at the museum. Applications for fall internships are now open. 

“My name is Maniya Porter (she/her), and I am a sophomore at SUNY Oswego studying Art with a studio emphasis, I am looking into minoring in Photography. I attended Friendship Collegiate Academy for high school. I am a part of an Urban Alliance Alumni internship program, and I was placed with The Phillips Collection. This summer, I will be working in various departments under DEAI Manager Yolanda Hester. I have been looking over the recent Museum 101 programs [meetings led by the staff about each department’s work] and adding notes for evaluation.” 

“My name is Naimah Jangha (she/her), and I just graduated from Howard University with a BFA in Art. My concentration was in Painting with a minor in Art History. I look forward to learning about the curatorial role in a museum, as well as investigating other positions and how they work together. I am an intern in the Curatorial Department this summer. I have been working with Curator Renee Maurer to prepare for the upcoming Alma Thomas exhibition this fall by creating illustrated checklists and conducting archival research. During my time here, I have been learning about the collaborative process between departments that make an exhibition come to life, how to find information within archives, and how to reach out to other institutions about research opportunities.” 

“My name is Nehemiah Thompson (he/him), and I am a multimedia artist from Washington, DC. I currently attend Howard university. During this internship experience, I hope to gain professional relationships, useful skills, and information that can be helpful to my future in the arts. This summer, I am working with Gwen Young in the Human Resources Department. Currently, I am working on the deployment of Microsoft Teams for the Security Department, refining the onboarding processes, and digitizing HR’s documents and uploading them to a cloud service.”

“My name is Gabby Swilley (she/her), and I attend Salisbury University as a psychology and art major with a minor in social justice. Originally, I was a graphic design major, but I realized after my first year that it was not my calling. I intend on going to graduate school to obtain a degree in art therapy. I am from Prince George’s County, specifically Fort Washington, MD. I enjoy reading and painting while discovering new music. I also run a small art business through Instagram. I will be working as the Education and Community Engagement intern this summer in the Education and Community Engagement Department with Emma Dreyfuss. Through this internship, I hope to gain the skills to combine my passion for art and helping different individuals from all walks of life. I also hope to gain administrative skills, building new relationships, and working with everyone involved with this program. This summer, I have been focusing on programs centered around art and wellness. I had the opportunity to work on a wellness kit activity centered around a piece of work here at the museum. So far, I have really enjoyed my time and I love the sense of community and the work that I am doing.” 

“My name is Katrina Auza (she/her), and I am an upcoming senior at The Catholic University of America studying Business Administration with a minor in German Studies. I also have a concentration in HR Management, I look forward to gaining more hands-on experience with The Phillips Collection and meeting new people. This summer, I am working as an HR Intern for the Human Resources Department under Gwen Young. As of now, my work consists of researching policy changes within the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and starting on onboarding projects for the Phillips. This internship has been great because I am gaining hands on experience in HR and learning new things. I also love being able to work in person and walk around the museum.” 

“My name is Amanda Lee (they/them), and I am currently going into my 5th year at Cal Poly SLO as an architecture student with a minor in art history. I got the chance to work with the Phillips briefly in the spring and am excited to be here again. This summer I will be working with Yolanda Hester in the DEAI Department, and am looking forward to learning more about how to implement DEAI initiatives to improve the future of museums. I am hoping that I can use what I learn this summer as inspiration for my thesis next year. I have worked on a variety of tasks such as editing an internal newsletter to collecting information on the Phillips’s partnerships and internships. Eventually I will be assisting with the Training, Development, and Learning series for staff. I have really enjoyed working with my cohorts and learning about how the museum industry functions. This internship has also inspired me to help shift the way museums operate by implementing DEAI goals to improve the role of museums in our society moving forward.” 

“My name is Billie Smith (they/them), and I am a student at the School of Hotel Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Human Resources at Cornell University. I am a DC native with a passion for social justice organizations and non-profit organizations. I am looking forward to gaining some valuable work experience at The Phillips Collection. I am also excited to work on social media projects and training development. Through this internship, I hope to learn a lot about my own interests and how different departments solve problems. This summer, I am working as a Rotations Intern in Various Departments under DEAI Manager Yolanda Hester. First, I spent time with Community Engagement to introduce kids to art though nature sketches and stamp making. Next, I spent time with the Archival department to help with the file digitization process of historical letters. I got the opportunity to work with the Conservation Department on mural maintenance and recording the conditions of incoming art installations. My time at the Phillips has opened my eyes to the beauty of the museum industry. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with such a dynamic group of people.” 

“My name is Ellie Benedict (she/her), and I am a graduate student at American University in the Arts Management program. My focus in this program is on funding and fundraising for the arts, so I am exceedingly excited to be The Phillips Collection’s Director’s Office Major Gifts Intern this summer. I am working with Emily Doll and Caitlin Hoerr in the Development & Director’s Office Department. I want to see everything about what a campaign looks like for a museum like the Phillips. I am also the Business Manager for a DIY ceramic art studio in Michigan; I have my own artistic practice which involves ceramic and fiber arts. Besides seeing a campaign in action at a museum of this size, I am looking forward to getting more involved in the local art world through this internship, as well as participating in an organization that uses art activities for social impact. This summer I am working on the Capital Campaign. I am helping the Development Department identify potential donors, reconnect with past art donors, and run VIP events. I am learning so much about how all the departments of a museum work together and I love that I get to see how our patrons’ passion for art becomes support for the museum’s work.”