Meg Hahn '17
Of the objectives I intended to learn while interning at Elizabeth Dee (the daily operations of a contemporary art gallery, the process of putting together an exhibition, and how the art market works), I was taught a tremendous amount about all three and much more.
By being involved in the gallery’s administrative aspects, I was able to not only work but witness, as well, how the multiple functions of a gallery come together. This included the gallery’s maintenance, archive, shipping, storage, sales, finances, and press. In terms of how an exhibition comes together, I observed and worked on tasks that were needed before, during, and after a show ended. To name a few, this involved the physical planning and layout of a show, how the gallery obtains these works, the promotion/press of a show, and how art is sold.
Additionally, I became much more aware of the contemporary art market in particular, and how art fairs function. I gained knowledge about the variety of contemporary art institutions and how they can be broken down into subcategories like for-profit and nonprofit and public and private collections, and how works are bought and sold. I was also informed on the preparation and aftermath of the gallery’s participation in art fairs.