Working at the 9/11 Memorial: Through the Eyes of an Exhibitions Intern
Since I was a teenager, I’ve worked in museums doing everything from caring for animals to working as an educator. Through the years I have developed a passion for museums and the roles they serve in each community.
This summer, I interned at the 9/11 Memorial Museum with the exhibition media team, which oversees museum exhibitions containing audio and video.
I worked with nearly 100 individual media installations. Three of those that stand out to me are designed to collect and display memories, emotions, and opinions from voluntary museum visitors.
One of the most popular interactive exhibitions in the Museum is the beam signing in Foundation Hall. It’s a digital guestbook of sorts, where visitors use touchscreens to sign their names or leave messages. In every signature, there is a unique story: A Japanese firefighter expresses solidarity with the FDNY. A Syrian refugee sends a message of peace. A child who just learned about 9/11 promises to remember. I loved reading these messages.
A soundscape called We Remember is one of the first exhibitions visitors encounter in the Museum. This piece reminds us that everyone has a 9/11 story. It features the voices of people from all over the world recounting where they were and how they felt on the morning of September 11, 2001. Visitors are encouraged to record their 9/11 experience in one of the museum’s recording booths.
Visitors are also invited to respond to questions about current events that vary from “How has your life been affected by 9/11?” to “What do you think politicians should learn from 9/11?” Museum staff reviews the recordings and incorporates selections into a video program called Reflecting on 9/11.
Working with these media exhibitions has been an incredible experience. This institution is truly unique. I gained a new understanding of the history of 9/11 and its global impact. My work at the 9/11 Memorial Museum will help me with my master’s degree in the Museum Professions program at Seton Hall University and in my career as a museum professional.
By Chelsea Levine, 9/11 Memorial Exhibitions Media Intern
Where she originally came from remains a mystery, but in the days following Sept. 11, a nearly 11-foot Statue of Liberty replica appeared outside the Engine 54, Ladder 4 firehouse in Midtown Manhattan.
Although Richard Eichen and Lucy Gonzalez both worked on the 90th floor of the North Tower, they were strangers before September 11, 2001.