Intern Spotlight: Bridget O'Carroll
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For our Intern Spotlight series, which gets to know our interns and highlights the different opportunities within our internship program, Margaret, our spring Human Resources intern, interviewed video intern Bridget O'Carroll about her experience.
Our fall internship positions have been posted; apply today!
About
SCHOOL AFFILIATION
Butler University, BS Arts Administration, BA Digital Media Production
INTERNSHIP DEPARTMENT
Design, Publishing, and New Media
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Where are you from?
I’m from Arlington Heights, Illinois, although I like to quote Kurt Vonnegut and say, “What people like about me is Indianapolis.” I went to college there and love it so much.
Video
Why did you want to intern at the MCA?
I’m super interested in museum video. As communication gets easier and interactive media becomes more accessible, it’s imperative not only that museums keep up with the times, but push the envelope further. I was looking for a museum that doesn’t just make commercials, but treats video as an important way of understanding artists and exhibitions. Before applying I watched the Kerry James Marshall video that accompanied the exhibition, Mastry. It’s such an amazing insight into his work and sets the tone for experiencing the exhibit to its fullest.
What are some of your responsibilities as a Digital Media intern?
The MCA has a huge breadth of video work, from filming live performances held in the museum to creating documentaries about artists featured in the exhibitions. As we approach the museum’s 50th anniversary, the video team has been digging through the archives to present and celebrate stories about the MCA through the years. I research, record, and edit all kinds of videos to tell the MCA’s story. For example, I have been researching what is in the video archive, assisting with interviews with teens participating in the MCA SPACE program, and editing all kinds of footage, from artist interviews to accessibility tours.
What has been your favorite experience interning at the MCA (so far)?
Working on a story from beginning to end always fills me with such fulfillment. At the start of my internship, the team interviewed Takashi Murakami for his upcoming MCA exhibition; now we’re in the middle of working with the footage, researching other material, and producing the final video for the exhibition that opens the month after I finish my internship. It’s been such a joy to see the whole process unfold and be as hands-on as I have.
Video
Video edited by Bridget
What’s your favorite piece currently on display at the MCA? Why?
Eternal Youth has some excellent works on display right now. I particularly like Jennifer Bornstein’s photographs from her Family Pictures/Intervention series. For this series, Bornstein asked strangers to pose with her as if they were family members. The portraits complicate ideas about identity, family, and images as truth. I’m fascinated with identity. I’m always looking at how people claim or disavow identities in their work, because even if it’s completely fake, the experience can give you a tiny glimpse at their true selves.
Featured work
Family Pictures/Intervention #1 (Griffith Park, Los Angeles), 1999
Chromogenic development print
20 ¼ × 19 ½ in. (51.4 × 49.5 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Gift of The Disaronno Originale Photography Collection, 2001.9
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
- Long The setting of the photograph appears to be a clearing in the woods. The man's arm, draped loosely around the woman's shoulder, holds her hand resting in her lap. Both people in the photo wear neutral expressions for the camera, despite their affectionate pose.
What’s your favorite thing about Chicago?
The people and the lake. For me, Midwestern cities have this comforting effect and Chicagoans’ attitude toward life is definitely a part of that. The spirit of the city is infectious. I love the lake so much, too. I think it’s pretty amazing that we have this ongoing relationship with a body of water that has literally and figuratively shaped Chicago.