The museum and its collections serve as a laboratory for students to engage in hands-on
learning, original undergraduate research, and new artistic work culminating in research
papers, exhibitions, digital projects, and public programs. These experiences are
important opportunities for students to engage in intellectual inquiry and develop
professional skills. Learn more about the annual F&M Student Art and Film Exhibitions, previous undergraduate research, and opportunities for students to work or intern
at the museum below.
Undergraduate Research
Dan Burke '14
Dan Burke '14, an American Studies major, began working at the museum after he took
the seminar “AMS372: Museum Mysteries” in 2012. His final project for this course
was an examination of the museum’s collection of European bayonets. Over three semesters, Dan researched the museum’s needlepoint samplers, a federal
period mantelpiece, and a collection of prints portraying American landscapes and
busts of Benjamin Franklin.
Heather Brown '13 and Megan Brown '13
Heather Brown '13 and Megan Brown '13 researched objects from the Phillips Museum,
Special Collections & Archives, and several local historical collections to curate
the exhibition Emancipation 150: National Event Local Lives. The exhibit reviews Lancaster's role in the fight for freedom, and was a Hackman Scholarship
Research project supervised by American Studies Professor Louise Stevenson. Their
research culminated in an exhibition in the Nissley Gallery as well as an online exhibition
on OMEKA, a digital publishing platform.
Maddie Fye '13
Maddie Fye '13 researched the museum's photography collection, exploring how developments
in photography impacted local lives. Her research culminated in the exhibition Collecting Shadows: The Dawn of American Photography, which explored how new technological advances in 19th-century photography impacted
American social and cultural life.
Marissa Sobel '13
Marissa Sobel '13, collaborated with Classics Department Professor Shawn O'Bryhim
to create the exhibition, Money: Rome to U$: An Installation Comparing Roman and American Coinage. Their research, made possible by a Nissley research grant, explores the meaning
of symbols found on money and how contemporary coinage continues to carry significant
messages first appropriated by ancient civilizations.
Student Employees & Interns
Working at the Museum
The Phillips Museum of Art team includes approximately twelve F&M student employees.
Students work as attendants in the galleries and as behind-the-scenes aides, who accomplish
tasks such as prepping objects for class visits and cataloging new acquisitions. The
museum occasionally offers internships for specialized work, such as developing social
media posts. Open opportunities are advertised through Handshake.
