From Classroom to Culture: A CSU Student’s Journey at the Cleveland Museum of Art

For Cleveland State University digital humanities major Evelyn Lee, summer wasn’t just a break from the classroom. It was a chance to step into the world she hopes to make her career.

Lee spent the summer gaining hands-on experience as an intern at the Cleveland Museum of Art, turning the digital media and technology skills she had developed at CSU into real-world tools.

When Lee received the internship offer in late April, she immediately saw the possibilities. She had long dreamed of working in museums, and the internship offered the best of both worlds: a chance to gain professional experience while putting her digital humanities education into action.

Inside the museum, Lee moved beyond textbooks and coursework and into a professional environment where technology, creativity and culture intersect. The experience gave her a firsthand look at the field she hopes to pursue, and a chance to begin building the skills and connections that could shape her future.

For Lee, it was more than a summer internship. It was a glimpse of what comes next.

“Out of all the internship projects I had done over the summer, which included going through files on Education Art Collection objects and creating a digital project on textiles from the collection, I enjoyed my work in the museum’s Photo Studio the most,” said Lee. “I was tasked with photographing works on paper for the Education Art Collection using the professional software and equipment that the museum had available. It also ended up being the most memorable part of the internship to me.”

Throughout the internship, Lee discovered a newfound love for photography beyond the routine of lining up the camera, focusing and ensuring the lighting and colors were just right.

“Working with the technology down there ended up being a fixation of mine during the two days a week I had down there,” said Lee. “By the end of my time at the internship I photographed 222 Flat Objects and gained much knowledge around what goes into the work of the museum’s photography department.”

Interning at the Cleveland Museum of Art also taught me how much collaboration goes into museum work, providing an experience that went beyond what traditional classwork could teach.

“In any given project the museum works on there can be as many as 5-10 departments involved in it, ranging from interpretation, to photography, to curatorial work and conservation work,” she said. “Seeing this changed how I saw Humanities as a field, as much of the work you do in college ends up being largely on your own. Seeing so many people collaborating is very different from what you see in your college classes.”

Lee’s work at the museum changed how she viewed collections and exhibits, and the internship showed her that museums do far more behind the scenes to showcase the art seen in galleries and on their websites than visitors may initially realize. Making collections accessible to the public and designing effective exhibits requires the work of large teams, often involving dozens to hundreds of staff members.

“I believe that CSU students should absolutely pursue internships and experience in their fields if given the opportunity,” she said. “You can gain insight into your field that college courses cannot give you alone and it helps you decide if the field really is for you or not by getting to see what it may actually be like doing the work you want to. You also get to meet people in your field who can see your work and vouch for you, creating future opportunities through networking.”