Jessica's Week 2 at History Miami

Hello my fellow Young Ambassadors and the amazing SLC staff!

 Greetings from the HistoryMiami Museum where we just opened an exhibit this week! Sorry about the late post-it's been a hectic week preparing for a new exhibition.

This week I alternated between my usual duties of research and gallery aide, and helping prepare for the opening of the Beyond the Game exhibit. To celebrate and present Beyond the Game, we hosted a Family Fun Day where we set up activities and crafts for families and waived the entrance fee for the museum. At first I was daunted by the idea because it was going to be a huge event with hundreds of people showing up and there was a lot of work required to make it happen. However, once the day came I was so glad to be a part of this event. It was amazing to be able to introduce so many new people to the history of the city they lived in. Seeing their smiles as they left made me feel grateful for this opportunity because so many of them had never been to museums before or to HistoryMiami and it was like something woke up inside them. 

I was also able to get this cute flower painted
really quick before the flood of people arrived :)

The best moment of this week came while I was doing my research at my desk on this amazing artist Laura Woodward, an unsung hero of South Florida, when I received a call from my mom- 

Mom: Can you give me a tour of the museum?
Me: Of course! When?
Mom: Now <laughter>

My mom and stepdad gifted me with a surprise visit since it was their anniversary and wanted to do something fun. My internship coordinator was more than happy to let me give them a tour and I was proud that I was able to actually walk them through the museum's different exhibits. 

 Waiting outside for my surprise tour guests

Working as gallery aide, I answer visitor questions and make sure to read all of the information so that I can guide visitors. Up until my parent's visit, I thought I couldn't possibly answer visitor's questions but I realized that I knew a lot about the exhibits and it was only my second week. My parents were so happy and interested in the exhibit which was really gratifying because they were able to see what I do in my internship and I was able to teach them about Miami's history.

It's a bit nerve wracking to be giving a tour to your parents on your second week but it ends up being really fun when your mom takes pictures like these.

The new exhibit opening was Beyond the Game which is a history on the evolution of sports in South Florida. It showcases historical memorabilia, short films on the history of these sports in the context of South Florida, and even had a projection of Muhammad Ali training with a boxing ring in front it. 

It's incredible to see how sports can affect the culture and development of a city. Because of the exhibit's focus, Family Fun Day's theme was sports and our activities reflected that. I helped set up the craft tables where kids could design their own baseball caps, foam fingers, charm bracelets with sports themed charms, and laying out the basketballs, hula hoops, frisbees, and other sports items they could play with. Even though the Miami heat was sweltering as I worked the check-in desk, seeing the kids play and create their crafts was worth all of the effort.

My second week at HistoryMiami was very eventful. I discovered new women that contributed to the development of South Florida that deserve to get recognition and also researched children's books to use in an upcoming program (which meant I got to spend a couple hours in the library across the plaza). I got out of my comfort zone to deliver my first tour, work during a Family Fun Day, and work as gallery aide during the opening of an exhibit which meant ten times more people than I was used to. As I start my third week, I'm disappointed to see time pass so quickly because in just two weeks I've learned so much and have enjoyed being a part of the behind-the-scenes of a museum.

Thank you all for reading!
Jessica Pupo

PS: I don't have any pictures of Family Fun Day but I promise to share some in next week's blog