My first part-time job in college was working at an art museum as a gallery attendant. From watching couples going on their first date to parents looking for a place to take their kids on the weekends, working at an art museum became my favorite place to people-watch.
Having worked at a museum for over a year and a half, I’ve witnessed and overheard my fair share of crazy work stories. Right after telling an elementary schooler to step away from the artwork, he made direct eye contact with me and banged his head against the clear glass case. Another time, an elementary schooler tried playing limbo and my co-worker had to stop him from running directly under the statue. I was once told that during the exhibit where guests could move their hands through a box of beans, a lady had climbed in and attempted to make snow angels.
Despite the chaotic moments from time to time, I found the art museum to be a peaceful place that draws you into a new place outside of Berkeley. There’s something about the ambiance of the bright white walls and large artworks that makes you really examine the art being showcased and what it’s trying to say. As people enter the gallery, I see them examining the pieces. First up close and then from afar, guests will try to make sense of the piece in various ways. With wide smiles on their faces to raised eyebrows in confusion, I find beauty in the way people view art and try to create their own ideas of the story being told.
Contemporary art has become one of my favorites since it brings up different concepts that the artists want to talk about in new ways that stray away from traditional artwork. Working at an art museum allowed me to not only see how people interact with unfamiliar art and learn about it as well as see how I could apply it into my own life. As someone who was always interested in trying new things, seeing people approach a new idea inspired me to continue asking questions and learning about new ideas and perspectives.