Alfred Ceramic Art Museum announces recipient of Spring 2025 Ackerman Internship

The Jerome Ackerman Internship is a paid internship that supports the museum’s mission as an educational resource for Alfred University students. The internship offers undergraduate students from the School of Art and Design in-depth exposure to museum professional practices as well as deep insights into creative processes across history. The internship is also designed to further each intern’s professional goals while helping the museum address its multifaceted organizational needs. Each intern works directly with the museum’s Curator of Collections and Director of Research Susan Kowalczyk.

Laura Ackerman-Shaw established the Jerome Ackerman Internship at the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum in honor of her father, Jerome “Jerry” Ackerman (MFA ’52), a designer-craftsman whose artistic collaboration with his wife, Evelyn Ackerman, was at the heart of California’s Midcentury Modernism movement. The couple established the Jenev Design Studio in West Los Angeles, and as highly visible artists participated in every edition of the influential California Design shows at the Pasadena Art Museum from 1954 to 1976.

Heather Denaro is originally from Acton, MA, where she was inspired by the Staffordshire wares and decorative blue-and-white work popular in New England. In high school, her two passions were soccer and ceramics, and when an injury made soccer impossible, she devoted herself even more fully to her art, clearing her schedule to allow as much time in the studio as possible. Currently her favorites things to make are pitchers, which are tall and difficult to throw. Denaro enjoys the challenge and sense of personality that can emerge from each individual work.

Denaro says she applied for the internship to “be exposed to a new world.” She has already worked in the museum at the welcome desk since being a freshman, and found the museum a positive, friendly, and encouraging place to work. Seeking to acquire the kind of hands-on learning that only an internship can provide, and wanting to maximize the learning opportunities available to her during her time at Alfred, she recognized in the internship the chance to consider new career paths, and to keep as many doors open as possible.

Coming from a family of teachers, Denaro may follow tradition and share her love of ceramics with another generation of students, but in any case her time spent learning new skills related to the caretaking of the museum’s collection, and getting a tangible experience of the rich history it represents, will have a lasting impact on her whatever she chooses to do. As she herself put it in her letter of application: “The idea of working closely with these pieces, and learning from their craftsmanship and historical significance, is truly exciting to me. Exploring the rich history of ceramic art will encourage the growth of my practice.”

All the staff at ACAM warmly congratulate Heather Denaro and look forward to working with her for the duration of her time here.

Applications for the Ackerman Internship are accepted in person at the museum’s front desk or by email. Applications must include a letter of interest, resume and two professional letters of recommendation. Applicants should have good organizational skills with strong attention to detail as well as good written and oral communication skills and a proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Photoshop. For additional information, call the museum office at 607-871-2421.