FSU Art Major Sarah Klim BA '14 Interning with the Salvador Dali Museum

During my time interning at the Dali Museum, I have worked with the Events Department there to help coordinate and create Museum-hosted and private events. These events are important because they help bring out new faces to the Museum, especially those local to the area who have been interested in going to the Dali but have not gotten a chance to do so yet. The Events Department creates a variety of events, including weddings, social and corporate functions, free movies, musical performances, academic lectures, and even yoga classes on Sundays.

My role at the Dali has been to aid the Events Department in preparing for events and making sure the events run smoothly, as well as learning the hospitality aspect of making sure the client is happy with the Dali as a venue and its services. This includes everything from frantically carrying plates and placeholders inside when a wedding was rained on, to bartending. There is also the ”paperwork” aspect to event planning, which involves making sure the vendors, clientele, museum, and the city of St. Petersburg all complete the necessary forms for an event to be hosted. This is obviously just as important as the physical execution of an event, because the Dali is otherwise legally and financially responsible for just about everything unless otherwise said so.

One of the most amazing aspects of interning at the Dali Museum is the unlimited access to Salvador Dali’s most comprehensive collection of artwork in the world — it is truly a gift. As with any museum, it’s really inspiring to see the amount of effort put into maintaining the work and making sure the experience of visiting is the best it can be. The staff at the Dali is endlessly helpful and welcoming, from the inside out, from interns to volunteers to full time employees and, of course, to visitors. When people come to visit, they are so often mind blown by how amazing and substantial the artwork is, as well as how beautiful the architecture of the museum itself is. Everything harkens back to Dali’s original intent in creating the artwork, from the geodesic glass snaking around the side of the building to the ”avant-garden.”

I have learned so much about museum management and event planning from this internship, as well as general practical skills like how to interact with others in a professional environment and conflict resolution. I definitely recommend the opportunity to others.