Emily Bell wins prestigious internship

Emily agreed to take Art History in Year 12 after her teacher ‘bribed’ her with food. Three and a half years later, she’s about to embark on an internship at one of the most prestigious art museums in the world: the Guggenheim Venice.

The Wright Family Venice Guggenheim Internship first appeared on Emily’s radar when Associate Professor Erin Griffey emailed her students about the scholarship.

The Venice Guggenheim Internship offers an all-expenses paid, two-month trip to Venice where interns are involved in the daily workings of the art museum: giving tours, guarding artwork, cleaning artwork, hosting talks, and answering visitors’ questions.

After the first email, the internship appeared for a second time on Emily’s student dashboard.

“I was like: ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose, and this sounds like a dream – so I gave it a go,’” says Emily.

The application process was standard but lengthy. Emily received an interview offer, which she took, and less than an hour later, she found herself in a café with her Mum.

Emily felt a weight on her chest as she sat in an otherwise homely café. Even though the interview had come to a close, her future yawned before her like an open door. 

“I was just eating some bread and some garlic butter, and I got an email that was really long, and I just saw that it was from Erin, who was one of the interviewers. So I knew it’d be about whether I got it or not.”

“I read the whole thing, and I realised that I got it – and I burst into tears in the middle of a French Café.”

The pressure dissipated when Emily found out her dreams were going to become a reality. She felt a mix of surprise and warmth, and to top it all off, there was still a Crème Brûlée to come.

Winning the Venice Guggenheim Internship has already had a profound impact on Emily’s life. The internship is one of a kind and opens many doors for a career in the field of art.

“[The internship] really just one hundred percent solidified what I had been hoping to do all along.”

“I would love to do something surrounding art, either in galleries or art dealerships.”

Emily is currently undertaking an internship with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, where she is conducting research for an upcoming exhibition scheduled for the end of 2023.

She leaves for Venice in early December, but before then, she is taking night classes to learn Italian while continuing her undergraduate studies.

Emily is excited to learn from some of the best and gain practical experience at the Guggenheim Museum.

“I think it will be intense and challenging, but also the most rewarding thing in the end, which I can’t wait for.”