A Joyful Return: My Time Working With Associated Artists of Pittsburgh

A Joyful Return

Museum Studies Intern at Associated Artists of Pittsburgh - Fall 2020

By Isaac Pleta

The chaos that was 2020 pushed the importance of virtual connections. Due to the pandemic the average structure of an internship could not be held. Virtual meetings and very little time in an office changed the average perception of what an internship is to be. Due to this forced format change I was able to have a great task in making videos in a safe fashion for the AAP Instagram page. This was an excellent role as I was able to add to the virtual experience in 2020.

During this fall Internship I, with the filming help of London Bogden, made ten videos that acted as a promotion for artists, galleries, and organizations. The videos were all less than a minute and gave viewers a peek into an exhibit. This was done to encourage people to safely visit these spaces and show places and artists they may have not been aware of. The videos consisted of a process of visiting, filming, writing, making the music, and editing. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and I am thrilled I had this opportunity.

As the videos were my main project I also received an important insight on the innerworkings of an art non-profit. Through weekly meetings, exhibition set up, and other tasks I learned a lot about the organization. I appreciated this aspect as I very much enjoyed working with the staff of AAP.

Through this internship I developed a new understanding of what goes into an art non-profit while having an intensive education on the importance of social media and virtual outreach. Through my time at AAP I have received a glimpse of what it takes to operate an art non-profit while also doing the video project. I enjoyed all of my time there and I am excited for my future in the arts.