Karina Glasby is a student from the University of Sydney who is completing a Masters in Museum and Heritage Studies. She has undertaken a 3-month curatorial internship at the Australian Design Centre as a part of her course. Karina’s internship coincided with the exhibition Object Therapy and throughout this period she has been involved in a diverse range of curatorial and public programs projects. Over the course of her internship she has undertaken research that went into the making of Object Therapy’s Repair Map, an element in the line-up of public programs for the exhibition. Karina independently researched and created the content for Object Therapy’s education kit and worked with ADC designer, Karen, to materialize it. Additionally, she has been researching and collecting information on potential partners and stakeholders in the craft and design industry around greater Sydney and NSW, assembling this data into a large database that will be used as a growing resource.
Q. Karina, you’ve been working here at ADC as an intern for three months, what are your impressions?
I am very happy that I chose to do my internship at the ADC, I came in wanting to get a feel for what it was like to work in the arts industry in Sydney and I feel like I have definitely chosen the right place for me. I think what ADC does in terms of their outreach with exhibitions and public programs is very impressive considering the relatively small team and their position as not just a gallery, but as a centre for design. The ADC fosters a positive and equal work environment and I was made to feel very welcome.
Q. What has been the best thing about the internship?
I have really appreciated the autonomy I was given to create the education kit, it was a gratifying project to work on and I was able to discover my abilities in making up creative children’s activities! The education kit will travel with Object Therapy and I am pleased to have produced something that will hopefully assist teachers and students in learning about fundamental themes of the exhibition (and life!). Being present for the whole process of the exhibition was a valuable experience and I was able to assist in install, public program events and panel discussions. Also, I have enjoyed spending time in the gallery, familiarising myself with exhibition, and with visitors and the ADC’s community.
Q. What aspect of curating interests you most?
I am interested in exploring the sometimes ambiguous line between crafts and fine arts, especially crafts that come from traditional artisanal practices. I think in Sydney there is a lot of potential to improve the exposure and discourse around fine crafts practices and I would love to be involved in this.
Q. What’s next for you?
At the moment, I am finishing up my Masters and I will soon be looking for employment in the arts industry. In the in-between time, I have a few curatorial projects in mind that relate to issues from Latin America and my mother’s country, Venezuela. In the future, I would like to experience a broad range of roles in the arts industry, including curating, public programming and exhibition design.
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Photo: Alix Fiveash ADC