NYU Program in Museum Studies at Villa La Pietra, New York University Florence – Museum Studies

NYU Program in Museum Studies at Villa La Pietra, New York University Florence Summer 2024: 3 positions, 7 weeks

DEADLINE TO APPLY: January 20*, 2024 by 5PM EST
*Preferred Deadline; late applications will be considered until January 30 at 5pm.

APPLY VIA GOOGLE FORM HERE

FINALISTS’ INTERVIEWS ONLINE: FEBRUARY 5-9

RESPONSES: FEBRUARY 15-22, 2023

PERIOD at Villa La Pietra: From the week of May 20 – through July 5, 2024

Applications must be submitted via Google form. You may direct questions before the application deadline to Rosanna at: rosanna.flouty@nyu.edu

Applications must include: a cover letter with motivation and Curriculum Vitae.

Project 1: Documentation, collection care, and educational activities in a house museum

The Acton Collection is displayed in Villa La Pietra Florence, a Renaissance villa on the northern hills of the city. Collected during the early 20th century by Hortense Mitchell Acton from Chicago and Arthur Acton from London, it was donated in 1994 to NYU by their son, Sir Harold (1904-1994). It comprises over 7,000 art objects, including paintings, sculptures, textile, household objects, and furniture, dating from the Classical Age to the early 20th century. The Villa also preserves the family library and an archive of photographs that are now in the process of being digitized and cataloged. The collections’ metadata have migrated to a more web-aware platform: the TMS Collections and Conservation Studio platform (Gallery Systems).

The intern will assist with the creation of new records related to the collection’s preservation and with the cataloging of the historical photographic albums. The aim is to share on the Villa website a gallery with the main conservation projects to celebrate 30 years of conservation efforts at the Villa. The student will be involved also in preventive conservation activities, and in the presentation of the Villa, its history, collections, and its public outreach by giving tours and creating new digital content and relevant material for social media platforms.

Preference will be given to students with a European / Asian art history background who are strongly organized, detail-oriented, and proficient in collection management databases.

The project takes place at Villa La Pietra, under the supervision of the Collection Manager, Francesca Baldry. Visits to other house museums and archives will be organized. The student will also interact with the Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Faculty, local conservators, and graduate students carrying out projects at the Villa.

Time Commitment: The project generally spans seven weeks, with activities carried out five days a week between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The daily schedule of the project will be determined after the students are selected (approx. week of May 20 – July 5).

APPLY VIA GOOGLE FORM HERE

Project 2: The Acton Guest Book (1923-1994): documentation, research and accessibility

Between 1923 and 1994, the Acton family kept a guest book that represents a living memory of the social life of the Villa. The bound volume preserved in the collection has been digitized (with high-resolution photographs) and will eventually be made accessible to students, faculty and scholars for study and research. An on-going project has been identifying and transcribing each individual signature. These have in turn been entered into a database containing biographical information on each guest, with social and professional status, cultural background, and relationship to the Acton family. The student will assist with the continued documentation of these signatures and baseline research on these visitors, but will also be involved in creating new digital content and relevant material for social media platforms.

The project takes place in Villa La Pietra, under the supervision of the Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Digital Initiatives, Scott Palmer and of the Collection Manager, Francesca Baldry. Visits to other house museums and archives will be organized.

Preference will be given to students who are highly organized, detail-oriented, and proficient in Microsoft Excel and AirTable. The subject matter of the Acton guest book is related to 20th century history, art and society, therefore students interested in this period are encouraged to apply. This year the research project will focus on the Post World War II period.

APPLY VIA GOOGLE FORM HERE

Project 3: Events planning and development of digital content for educational and public access

Beginning in 2005 Villa La Pietra has hosted a rich program of summer events entitled The Season, which takes advantage of the unique setting of La Pietra’s historical garden. The program usually features theatrical and musical performances, literary and film presentations, in both English and Italian. For the Summer 2024 edition, we are contemplating the organization of 5 to 6 events.

The intern will have the opportunity to be involved in all stages of planning the events, collaborating closely with the Visit and Events Coordinator. Tasks include: design and preparation of the full program and the individual programs; creation of other promotional materials; general assistance in the organization and use of the spaces for each event – whether outside in the garden or in one of the indoor spaces – in collaboration with the artistic directors and assistants; communication to the public; maintenance of the database and other occasional clerical work; and follow up with statistical analysis and reports on the events.

If time permits, the intern will collaborate with the development of digital content that documents the history of the villa, the artwork, the garden, and the family who donated the estate to NYU in 1994. The student will be asked to make suggestions on how to utilize some of the rich stories and resources to create room charts, to update the paper photo albums and to design a digital version of these albums for digital devices. The student will be involved in the presentation of the Villa, its history, collections and its public outreach by giving tours and creating material for social media platforms.

Knowledge of computer design or graphics and an interest in digital technology and interpretation is highly recommended.

The project takes place in Villa La Pietra, under the supervision of the Visit and Events Coordinator, Cristina Fantacci, and of the Collection Manager, Francesca Baldry.

Time Commitment: The project generally spans seven weeks, with activities carried out five days a week between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. As the programming of the events is usually in the early evenings, this schedule will need to be adjusted accordingly. The daily schedule of the project will be determined after the students are selected (approx. week of May 20 – July 5).

APPLY VIA GOOGLE FORM HERE

All three students will be asked to provide support during public evening events.