Field Work Term Spotlight: Chuna Chugay
Chuna Chugay '25 studies Visual Arts at Bennington, with an emphasis of storytelling through images—which includes animation, illustration, comics, and painting—as well as Public Action, researching the Koryo-Saram diaspora. For their summer Field Work Term, they worked as an editorial intern at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI).
At Bennington, students spend six weeks every year taking their skills and knowledge out of the classroom and applying them in the world of work. They use this annual work-learning opportunity—known as Field Work Term—to deepen their studies, challenge and test new ideas, and hone their direction for the future.
How did your FWT relate to (or diverge from!) your studies at Bennington?
Working at MoMI was a part of my participation in MFT (Museum Fellows Term), and it showed me in practice how curatorial work directly affects what the Museum visitors get out of the experience. I worked with Sonia Epstein, Executive Editor of Sloan Science & Film, and the majority of the projects we worked on together were science related, which was definitely a new perspective on contemporary artworks.
What did a typical day at your FWT site look like?
My day started with taking 1.5 hour commute from Flatbush, Brooklyn, to Queens, Astoria, and I would really not recommend that...But other than a total of three hours per day spent in NYC subway, there was a lot of sketching out posters, banners, and advertisements for upcoming events in MoMI.
What surprised or challenged you the most about your position?
MoMI is a big museum in terms of exhibitions and events, especially for the amount of people who work there. A curator would not only organize an event, but also have to make sure the beverages are in the right place, all speakers have arrived and are familiarized with the Museum, and that visitors are having a pleasant experience. My position's tasks also were diverse.
What do you hope to do in the future—for your next FWT and beyond Bennington?
Working in the Museums of the Moving Image cultivated in me interest towards designing for art institutions. So maybe another museum? Or a design agency? Who knows!