This post is part of our Internship Spotlight series. For this installment, we spoke with Marnie Hill-Woodworth (’26) about her internship experience at the Messors in Italy.
What organization did you intern with and what you did in your internship?
I interned with Messors Art & Cultural Heritage Conservation where I learned how to conserve Byzantine and Medieval frescoes as well as 17th- 20th century paintings, led by Tonio Creanza and Jennifer Bell, Filip Petcu, Joana Diniz, with guest lectures from Andreea Foanene.
What learning goals did you have going into the internship?
- To begin to understand the basic fundamentals of painting and fresco conservation, like what chemicals are used and how they are applied
- The history of Italian art/culture in connection with fresco sites
- How inpainting processes/techniques are applied
What did you end up learning from your internship? Did you fulfill your original learning goals? Were there any unexpected takeaways or learning moments?
I ended up learning so much and then some during my internship as it was completely hands-on.
What did you enjoy most about this internship?
Since it was completely immersive, I got to participate in processes I normally would not be allowed to do, like varnish and dirt removal, or inpainting, which has been a goal of mine to learn how to do. Traditionally, you have to go through years of schooling before you even touch a painting, but since Messors buys damaged paintings from auctions, students are allowed to learn and work together to bring paintings back to life.
Is there anything you wish you had done differently in your internship? Do you have any recommendations for students looking into internships now?
I wouldn’t have done anything differently; in fact, I want to go back, and I miss Gravina every day.
What’s next? How did this internship relate to your career goals, interests, and/or plans, and how has it impacted those goals, interests, and/or plans?
It gave me hands-on experience that I otherwise would have had a hard time getting since I do not have a strong science/chemistry background. It has made me consider taking chemistry courses and pursuing more conservation-based internships or even a conservation degree after this.