Louis Dzialo ’19 secured himself a summer internship that precisely fits with his long-held love of art history and his academic and career goals — he’s working at The Frick Collection in the Department of External Affairs.
The Frick is one of Dzialo’s favorite New York City museums. It’s known for its Old Master paintings and European sculpture and decorative arts and research center. “I'm mostly doing donor research using the Raiser’s Edge software but I'm also assisting in other areas — press, special events, etcetera,” Dzialo says.
Major: Art History
Hometown: New York City
High School: Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Working at the museum is another step forward on a path he set for himself even before he started at Hamilton.
When Dzialo was still deciding which college to attend, he was completing an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was determined to make a career in museum research and education. Hamilton’s open curriculum convinced Dzialo he could immediately pursue his interests and tailor his own research projects. Now he’s an art history major who is pondering a minor in history or medieval-Renaissance studies.
Dzialo logged hours of museum work before he got the Frick internship, including at Hamilton’s Wellin Museum of Art, where he does research for the head of education. Most recently he reviewed the Wellin’s collection for primary-source materials that teachers in New York State can incorporate into their lesson plans.
For Dzialo, the best part of working at the Frick is the people. “It's very small so everyone is extremely friendly, and it feels like a family. The guards in the galleries are treated with the same respect as more senior employees like curators,” he says.
The most fun moments come during The Frick’s programs for interns, which include tours outside the museum. “Last week we visited Christie’s and got look a behind the scenes there which was incredible,” Dzialo said early in the internship.
Working at the Frick hasn't changed his career goals, but it has introduced him to a variety of new career options. “I hope to make relationships with people in many different areas of the art world while I'm here,” he says.
