Photograph: Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center on North Main Street in Opelousas, LA
SEMC is thrilled to announce that The Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center in Opelousas, Louisiana has been selected as the inaugural recipient of a $1,000 stipend to support a paid internship through the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund. This fund established in 2022 with a generous gift from donor, Joy Tahan Ruddell, is named in honor of Ms. Ruddell’s late mother, Handumy Jean Tahan, who wholeheartedly supported her museum career and inspired her to give back to others who equally deserve that support. The Fund provides a small museum or historic site (with an operating budget under $500,000) support for a paid internship to help foster the talents of future generations of museum professionals in the Southeastern Museums Conference.
The Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center showcases and reflects the diverse culture and history of the Opelousas area from its earliest peoples to the present through a collection of artifacts and displays. The Museum’s artifacts and exhibits explore the history of Opelousas inhabitants including Native Americans and those of African and European descent. The museum strives to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for residents and tourists of all ages. Permanent and traveling exhibits are designed to spark interest, curiosity and stimulate rich conversations about connections between people.
The award will provide funding for a paid internship focused on creating an orientation booklet for Opelousas Museum volunteers and future employees. The content will include information about the history and culture of Opelousas and provide more detail in reference to the exhibits. As stated in the Opelousas Museum’s application materials:
“The final guidebook will be invaluable. For volunteers, it will inspire confidence and provide a framework for interacting with visitors. The document will also make it easier to recruit and retain volunteers, which is crucial for a museum that is understaffed. Furthermore, it will allow for greater consistency in presentations.”
While the intern will work one-on-one with the Museum Director (who is also the sole museum staff member,) they will also have an opportunity to meet volunteers and members of the Board of Directors and will be included in Board meetings to share progress on the project, receive feedback and strategize collaboratively with museum stakeholders. With dialogue between supervisor, intern and Board throughout the process, the student will be set up for success.
Congratulations to the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center on prioritizing paid internships and helping to lay a path toward equity in the museum industry!
To add your support to the Handumy Jean Tahan Internship Fund visit https://www.semcdirect.net/donate/
About The Southeastern Museums Conference
The Southeastern Museums Conference is the major regional networking organization for museums and their staff in the southeastern states as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A non-profit membership association with almost 1600 members, SEMC strives to increase educational and professional development opportunities and improve the interchange of ideas, information, and cooperation.
For more information, visit SEMCdirect.net or contact Zinnia Willits, Executive Director at 404-814-2048 or zwillits@semcdirect.net
