Vesterheim Intern Supports Museum Project
Vesterheim often seeks interns to help with special projects during a school semester or over the summer. In the summer of 2024, Vesterheim curatorial staff completed an inventory of the objects at the museum’s Jacobson Farmstead as part of the ongoing process of caring for the museum’s collection. The help of intern Ainsley Harris, whose position was supported by the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area Internship Program, was invaluable during the inventory process.
Ainsley Harris is a recent graduate from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls. In her pursuit of a museum studies certificate from UNI, she was hired to help Vesterheim Collection Assistant Julie Hale inventory collection pieces in the main farmhouse and barn, as well as the milk house, tool shed, storage shed, and granary. The process of inventorying the farmstead involved locating object numbers, measuring each item, assessing the object’s condition, and taking an updated photo.
Ainsley said, “Each day at the farm was a little bit different, whether we were in the house or working in the barn, what room we were in, and the conditions of the weather. We spent the mornings at the farm and the afternoons back at the office recording our data. This way, we got out of the office for a while without overwhelming ourselves with new data to enter each day. I always left the site feeling like we were closer to achieving our goal than we had been the day prior, and it was wonderful to complete the project within my internship. I absolutely feel this was an invaluable experience that I will look back on for years to come.”
Ainsley shared that internship opportunities are very scarce in the Cedar Valley area of her hometown, especially ones in a museum. She had to broaden her search and move away from home for the duration of the internship. Moving to a town without knowing anyone and immediately starting a new job was a big change for her, but she said, “I did it and I regret nothing! Everyone in the curatorial department was so kind and made me feel welcome from day one. Additionally, being paired with a host family in Decorah helped me to not feel as lonely, especially since they had a cat I fell in love with almost immediately.”
Ainsley felt like the weeks flew by in no time, even if it was humid and sticky and hot some days. She said that the experience has inspired her to strive for the goal of working in a museum and has given her a lot to think about for the future. She feels she made some great connections and hopes to continue building strong working relationships in the years to come. Vesterheim is grateful for this internship and for Ainsley’s consistent and thorough support! We look forward to hearing about her next steps.
