Highlights from the 2024-2025 Intern Cohort at the Museum of Art

With the fall semester underway and an exciting year ahead, we are delighted to welcome our 2024-2025 student interns to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. This academic year, six Bowdoin students bring unique experiences and fresh perspectives to their roles. 

Karime Borrego ’27 (she/her) is a history major and anthropology minor from El Paso, Texas. As a curatorial intern, Karime is working with Co-Director Anne Collins Goodyear on an upcoming exhibition which will explore the work of Walter Pach and the intersections of Modernism in the United States and Mexico. With a strong background in Latin American history and previous experience as a curatorial and educational intern at the El Paso Museum of Archeology, Karime’s academic interests and passion for museum work well align her with this project. 

Audrey Fillion ’25 (she/her), a biochemistry major on the pre-medicine track with a minor in art history, has been part of the BCMA since her start as a Student Ambassador in 2022. This year, Audrey will return as an education intern with a focus on developing educational resources, supporting community outreach, and guiding the Student Ambassador program. Working with Curatorial Assistant and Manager of Student Programs Emily Jacobs, Audrey brings to the Museum her leadership skills, deep understanding of the Ambassador program, and appreciation for art’s unifying power. 

Originally from Orlando, Florida, Neiman Mocombe ’26 (he/him) is an art history and religion double major. Serving as the campus engagement intern this semester, Neiman is working closely with Andrew W. Mellon Post-Doctoral Curatorial Fellow Sean Kramer and other members of the academic initiatives team to foster connections between students and the Museum. Neiman holds extensive experience in outreach from his previous internships with Agentry PR and Bowdoin’s Communications Office, coupled with his passion for student engagement as an officer of the Bowdoin Art Society. 

Pilar Saavedra-Weis ’25 (she/her), a double major in biochemistry and Hispanic studies with a minor in visual art, brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to her role as a curatorial intern. This year she will work with Curator Cassandra Braun on an upcoming retrospective of artist Josefina Auslender’s practice. Pilar’s background in scientific research includes a Littlefield Summer Fellowship at Bowdoin College, work with the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and a summer position with the Life Sciences Research Program at the University of Minnesota. Pilar brings to the Museum strong analytical skills and the creativity exercised through her artistic practice of printmaking, painting, and drawing. 

Julia Smart ’25 (she/her) is an art history and English double major who has demonstrated a dedication to the arts community on campus during her time at Bowdoin. Julia began working at the BCMA in 2022 as a Student Ambassador and then served as a curatorial intern this past summer. This academic year, she is returning as a curatorial assistant, building on her previous work with Andrew W. Mellon Post-Doctoral Curatorial Fellow Sean Kramer on the forthcoming exhibition Irreplaceable You: Personhood and Dignity in Art, 1980s to Now. Julia is passionate about integrating the arts and student life, also leading the Vague Dance Team in her senior year. With her attention to fellow students, rich knowledge of the Museum, and thoughtful approach to research, the Museum is delighted for Julia’s return. 

Chris Zhang ’25 (he/him), an English major and visual arts minor, joins the Museum as a curatorial intern to work with Co-Director Frank Goodyear. Chris comes to the BCMA with previous experience as a curatorial and exhibition assistant at the Nanjing Museum in China. He is also an officer of the Bowdoin Film Society and served as Executive Editor of the Bowdoin Journal of Cinema, promoting both campus engagement and academic scholarship in these areas. As an avid photographer and twice the recipient of the McKee Photography Grant, Chris brings passion and technical understanding of the medium as he works on an upcoming exhibition of John McKee’s photography. 

We are grateful to be working with such a talented cohort of students, each bringing with them their individual skills, points of view, and interests. We look forward to seeing all they will accomplish and are excited to support their growth throughout the year.