Events

By Kennedi Thomas, former Eiteljorg marketing and communications intern

Kennedi Thomas was a summer marketing and communications intern at the Eiteljorg. Image by Sara Haas.

The path that led me to my marketing and communications internship at the Eiteljorg Museum began with a desire to combine my personal interests into one career path I would be excited to pursue. Now that my summer internship has come to a close, I am grateful for the experience and skills I have acquired that have prepared me for post-graduation life.

Before coming to the Eiteljorg, I double majored in anthropology and communication at Purdue University. I also had a passion for studying culture and public relations. I didn’t think I would be able to find a career path that would combine these interests, until as a project for my fall semester I was tasked with researching a dream post-grad job. This is when I discovered the path of specializing in marketing and communications for museums. This field would allow me to utilize the creative and strategic communication skills I have, to promote the educational and cultural institutions I value. When I came across the job posting for the Eiteljorg’s marketing and communications Internship, I was excited because I knew that it would provide me with experience in the specific field I wanted to pursue.

My time as an account executive at Purdue’s student-run PR firm, Boiler Communication, has given me a solid foundation in social media management, campaign planning, content creation, and media relations. But joining the marketing and communications team at the Eiteljorg taught me that the best way to learn is by doing.

Throughout this internship, I had a wide range of responsibilities that improved my professional capabilities. During both the Juneteenth: A Celebration of Connection event on June 19 and the museum’s Saloon Night on July 3, I captured real-time story posts to document the festivities and took photos to help promote future events.

In promoting the 34^th annual Indian Market & Festival on June 27-28, I was able to do similar tasks but on an even larger scale. I was awestruck when I was able to go to an Indianapolis television news studio and view the recording of a live TV news segment with the acclaimed dance troupe Indigenous Enterprise, who were performing at Indian Market & Festival. Beyond testing my digital skills, the festival gave me the meaningful experience of forming connections with my fellow Eiteljorg team members as we worked side by side to bring such an important event to life.

The acclaimed dance troupe Indigenous Enterprise performed at the Eiteljorg Indian Market & Festival on June 27-28. Marketing intern Kennedi Thomas captured images from and created social media posts about the event. 

What I was most grateful for was the opportunity to collaborate across different departments to support the museum’s broader mission. Working alongside the Education and Public Programs team, I learned more about the museum’s vast array of events that  do the important work of engaging and supporting the larger community. Using this information, I was able to compile the calendar of events for the museum’s brand-new Fall Arts Guide mailing. When asked to make and edit a video highlighting the gardens surrounding the museum, I was able to speak with volunteers who taught me about the significance of the plants on the Eiteljorg grounds and the dedication it takes to maintain them.

I also worked alongside the Curatorial and Exhibitions teams to execute my favorite project of the summer, uploading and organizing images of artwork to the museum website for the 21^st annual Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale, which takes place Sept. 11-12. This project allowed me to learn more about the world of Western American art and to spend my days looking at images of beautiful paintings and sculptures. In addition, this project taught me valuable lessons in web design and organization.

I am thankful that public relations & content manager Bryan Corbin, director of communications and marketing Katie Warthan, and digital marketing coordinator Sara Hass all provided me with valuable mentorship, and made me feel like a truly valuable member of the team. I am also grateful for the guidance provided by graphic designer Perla Brown and web administrator Tchad Blair.

This internship at the Eiteljorg did more than just polish my professional skills. It gave me the confidence and hands-on experience I needed to step into post-grad life.

Kennedi Thomas, a Purdue University graduate, recently completed a summer marketing and communications internship at the Eiteljorg Museum.