The Alfred Ceramic Art Museum is pleased to announce the awarding of the Jerome Ackerman Internship for the 2025 fall semester to Alfred University senior Rebecca Zhang.
Originally from New York City, Rebecca is studying both ceramics and graphic design in the School of Art & Design (SOAD), New York State College of Ceramics. She also is an instructor at the Choplet Ceramics Studio in Brooklyn and has taught workshops at an LGBTQ senior center there. In 2024 she completed a month-long residency in “the porcelain city” of Jingdezhen, China, and after graduating she hopes to return there to continue her studies.
In the field of ceramic art, Rebecca’s principal interest is in tea ware, including the centuries-old tradition of tea drinking. In design, she is interested in print and book design, and she has already produced a book that is both about the art of feng-shui and an attempt at realizing its principles in book form.
Her current project involves an intersection of both these interests: a book about the improvised ceramic tools made by her fellow students, faculty and other ceramicists.
The Alfred Ceramic Art Museum has become a valued resource during her years at Alfred, and she enjoys the prospect of developing some literally hands-on experience in the world of museum collections.
As a Jerome Ackerman Intern at ACAM, she is the beneficiary of a paid internship that supports the museum’s mission as an educational resource for Alfred University students. offering undergraduate SOAD students 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.
Applications for the Ackerman Internship are accepted in person at the museum 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 proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Photoshop. For additional information, call the museum office at 607-871-2421.
