Photo taken at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Uffizi Gallery

I am currently an intern at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. A week after my college graduation, I hopped on a plane to Italy to begin my internship. I've been interested in both art and travel from a young age, which eventually led my decision to spend my junior year studying abroad at the University of Bologna. I was directly enrolled at the university, taking all of my classes in Italian and living with Italian students. I became fluent in the language, and have since kept up my skills by taking Italian literature and writing courses upon my return to Wisconsin as a senior. My year in Bologna was such an excellent, formative experience for me that I wanted to come back to Europe as soon as I could.

As an intern in Florence, I've experienced an Italian work environment, one that differs from what I encountered as an intern in New York. Being able to compare and contrast two different cultures of work is a valuable insight. As the art world becomes more globalized, it is crucial to be able to succeed in more than one type of working culture. I know what studying and working in the United States is like, and I know what the Italian's tendencies and expectations are. Having studied and worked abroad has given me a more nuanced understanding of differences in work habits, and enables me to bridge the gap the often forms between two different ways of getting work done. 

Working at the Uffizi, I've learned a great deal about how the museum runs and the bureaucracy involved in getting things done. I attended an opening, press conferences, and other museum events, becoming familiar with how the organization runs. I've also had to opportunity to study its collection and see it up close almost every day. I have loved interacting daily with the works of Titian, Botticelli, Giotto, da Vinci... the list goes on. 

I believe my experiences studying, working, and living in Italy makes me an excellent candidate to work in the art world abroad. In my post below, I give more background on my past experiences that have led me to work at the Uffizi. 

For further question and a copy of my CV, please send me  a message at zecooper@wisc.edu. Thank you for your time and attention.

Professional Art Experience

I began working in the art world as a summer intern in New York. The summer of 2010, I worked as a intern at the non-profit organization Art in General and at the former Knoedler Gallery.

Art in General's mission is to assist emerging artists with the presentation and production of the new work. As an intern, I maintained correspondence with board members and other donors, and assisted in planning the summer benefit. I helped put together gallery openings in Manhattan and Brooklyn and other educational events. I wrote grant reports to arts foundations including the Jerome Foundation and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. As an intern at Knoedler Gallery, I worked primarily with the archivist. I catalogued correspondence with collectors, critical reviews of exhibits, press releases, and letters dating back as far as the 19th century.

Campus Involvement - Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Commitee

I became involved in the art on the UW-Madison campus as a member of the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee. I began as a Student Art Sale Coordinator, planning a campus wide art sale of student work. I was later awarded a position as a Student Curator. I put together an exhibit at the Memorial Union showcasing the work of a talented student photographer. I began my curation project by putting out a Call for Artists, selecting work from the submissions I received, and choosing the exhibition space. I wrote text panels and an abstract in collaboration with the artist, and organized an opening to promote the show.

By my senior year, I became an Associate Director of the committee. As a committee leader, I assumed a number of new responsibilities. Along with fellow leaders, we conceived of the first student-created public art project on campus. We coordinated with mural artists and lobbied with university administrators to gain permission to paint on a public building. The project was a success, and the mural is currently being painted on the side of UW-Madison's Mosse Humanities building. 

As a group leader, I worked to ensure the continued and active involvement of all younger members through training, sharing resources, and delegating tasks. By creating a friendly, open environment, we were able to attract more committee members and encourage more students to learn about art on campus. I put together the annual submissions meeting, in which the Art Committee votes to select next year's shows. 

Together with other leaders, I planned visits to artists' studios, museums around the Midwest, and guest speakers at meetings. We collaborated with other arts organizations on campus to bring in new audiences and provide a variety of programming.

Research Experience

I became interested in art historical research early in my college career. I applied for the Sophmore Apprenticeship Honors Research Grant and was awarded $2,000 to pursue research at the undergraduate level. I worked with Professor Kroiz, a scholar in American art and visual culture. With her guidance I researched the role of exiled European artists in the New York art world in the mid 20th century. I read in depth about the life and career of Alfred H. Barr, Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. I presented my research findings and conclusions at a conference of Honors Grant recipients at the end of the summer. This particular project sparked my interest the cultural exchange between the United States and Europe, one that later prompted me to live in Italy for a year.