Hi! My name is Celia Maiers Cubas and I am participating in the IIP Internship program in Madrid this summer. I just completed my fourth year at Pitt and will be graduating in August with a degree in Museum Studies and Classics and a minor in Italian. Additionally, I have also completed certificates in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, as well as West European Studies. After this program I will be interning at the Peggy Guggenheim collection in Venice, Italy. I am hoping to pursue a master’s degree in conservation of cultural patrimony here in Spain in the coming years.
My interest in gallery spaces developed throughout my undergraduate studies when I first began taking classes in the History of Art and Architecture department. This interest only grew further when I began working as a gallery attendant at the University Art Gallery, which I ended up staying at for the entirety of my undergrad. Through watching the day-to-day processes of the gallery, my interest in behind-the-scenes work bloomed. I always found it particularly interesting (and fun) to help out with tasks such as installation, the care of displayed objects and deinstallation. I also find it tremendously interesting and rewarding to talk with visitors and observe how they interact with the space. I want to help make these spaces as accessible, comfortable, and interesting to everyone as possible!
Another thing that really fostered my interest in museum work was the internship I had at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History this past academic year (2022-2023) as part of my Museum Studies major. For this placement I was particularly interested in exploring the side of work dedicated to the maintenance and care of objects on display and in collections. For this reason, I ended up working in the conservation department, where I worked on a variety of projects ranging from dinosaur bones to taxidermy and everything in between. This experience is one of the main reasons why I am now interested in pursuing a masters in conservation!
As a student in the HAA department, I got the opportunity to work on an online exhibition entitled A Nostalgic Filter: Medieval Manuscripts in the Digital Age. During this project, fellow students and I collaborated in the curatorial development process of the exhibition. I found it particularly interesting to aid in the selection of works for publication, the writing of exhibition texts and the development of a thematic thread for the exhibit. This is an aspect of museum work I did not have a lot of experience in previously but grew very interested in from this project. I find it very interesting to consider how audiences experience art differently in physical vs digital spaces – and how these differences change our relationships with the art.
When I first heard of this program, I became interested in a variety of reasons, the first being personal. I was born in Valencia, Spain and moved to Pittsburgh when I was a child. Since moving to the states I have traveled to Valencia most summers to visit my family. The opportunity to experience the country from a new perspective, particularly focused on the professional world, is really exciting to me. Additionally, I have always been interested in the possibility of returning to Spain post bachelor’s degree and pursuing a career here. I believe this experience will give me a better sense of what the reality of living and working abroad would be like, and if it truly aligns with me.
I also think this opportunity will be a great way to gain my footing in the professional world. One thing I am really excited about is that my placement will have a more business-oriented perspective than previous work I have done. I think working in different areas and focuses is a great way to expand my understanding of gallery spaces and gain experience with all different aspects of the work. I am also really looking forward to building professional connections and seeing the arts world in Madrid firsthand. Due to my dream to live here in the future, this opportunity will give me invaluable experience that I hope I can apply to future positions!
As I prepare for this program, I am extremely excited and nervous for the new experience that lies ahead. I know without a doubt that this experience will be eye-opening in so many ways. I am really looking forward to discovering new interests and sides to myself that I have not explored yet!
