Rowena Hurme Reflects on Her Internship at FCINY

Back in February, we welcomed Rowena Hurme to the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York as our Spring 2025 production intern. A master’s student in Media Studies at the University of Turku with a minor in Art History and Museology—Rowena brought her passion for arts and culture to the heart of NYC.

At the start of her internship, she shared her excitement about exploring the city and learning more about cultural production in an international context. One of her goals? To visit every art museum in New York before the end of her internship.

Now, six months later, we caught up with Rowena to hear her reflections on her time at FCINY—what she learned, what surprised her, and what she’ll miss most.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞?

My name is Rowena and I have just finished my internship at the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York focusing on production and communications. I’m a big fan of arts and culture and my studies reflect that: At the University of Turku I major in Media Studies and Minor in both History of Art and Museology. I’ve previously held internships in art museums and galleries, and studied abroad during my Bachelor’s and Master’s.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐘?

I believe my official title was ‘Production Intern’, but I also worked alongside the other intern, Emma, doing communications for the Institute’s social media channels. I was lucky enough to be a part of several FCINY projects that ranged from one-night shows to exhibitions. Additionally, I contributed to the Institute’s internal everyday activities and tasks.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞?

My biggest project was ‘Shared Grounds’, an outdoor exhibition at Hunter’s Point South Park, with contributions from both Finland and NYC-based artists: Carmen Baltzar, Kastehelmi Korpijaakko, Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, Jemila MacEwan, and Lotta Petronella. The exhibition was curated by FCINY’s Elina Suoyrjö and Flux Factory’s Meghana Karnik, and I was graciously given the title of Curatorial Assistant. The exhibition is running until August 10 at the Park.

Other projects I was a part of include ‘chance encounter’ at the 2025 Basel Social Club, ‘Remix the Archive’ at Dunkunsthalle in NYC’s Financial District, and ‘Indigenous Drag Excellence’ at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art. All of these projects helped me grow tremendously and gave me a significant amount of knowledge, experience, and perspective when it comes to (cultural) production.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭?

I have a lot of international experience so it’s a no-brainer for me to apply to international opportunities when they arise. My friend Mimmi actually sent me the link to the internship listing and said I’d be perfect for the role. I applied and got the spot. I was overjoyed but also hesitant at the same time since the U.S. political climate has been precarious for a while now.

My expectations were definitely exceeded – everything about the internship was great and I learned a lot.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?

I've significantly gained a lot of experience and strengthened my skills in production. I was involved in various planning meetings and was able to be a part of projects from conception to completion. I have a strong background in communications, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to broaden my skill set and gain experience in new areas.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡?

I think it has just reaffirmed to me that this is the career path I want to pursue and encouraged me to seek even more international opportunities outside of Finland and even Europe.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐘?

I already miss the hustle and bustle of the city. NYC has just about everything to offer which is both wonderful and overwhelming. I also miss all of the museums and gallery hopping around Manhattan.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦, 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲?

I enjoy all things Medieval so visiting the Met Cloisters was incredible and felt really special. Museum of Moving Image and Brooklyn Museum also deserve honorary mentions. I went to a couple of Broadway shows, but I don’t think I have a favourite! When it comes to art galleries, I enjoyed my visit to Hauser & Wirth and Dia Chelsea, but there’s so many stellar galleries all over NYC.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩, 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?

Citymapper has been my go-to transport app for years, and it worked perfectly in NYC. My fellow intern Emma introduced me to Tide pens (they're compact stain removers) which quickly became a staple in my bag. As for habits, grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s was key to staying on budget, as most other grocery stores were far more expensive.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 “𝐈’𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤” 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭?

There were several moments throughout my stay, but often it was the simplest things like walking through the busy city streets, running everyday errands, that made me pause and think, 'Wow, I’m really living here'.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐘𝐂 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞?

You encounter rats in your everyday life, especially in the subway. The people here are truly nice and genuine. And bodega cats are real.

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿-𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗮?

Bagel for lunch and pizza in the evening! That being said, I probably ate more bagels than pizza slices.


𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝗬𝗖 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁?

I ate out a lot during my time in NYC, so it’s hard to choose just one favorite – but I’ll definitely miss the abundance of milkshakes almost everywhere. Also Trader Joe’s brookie bites were so good.


𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞?

I spent a lovely day upstate in Beacon for my birthday.


𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟?

Flying over Manhattan on a small passenger plane. It was incredible.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐘 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥?

You should have prior working experience and apply with a genuine interest in working in the city – it’s fast-paced and full of opportunities, but also demanding. Budgeting is essential since NYC is expensive. I’d also recommend researching NYC's neighbourhoods since everyone wants to live in Manhattan or Downtown Brooklyn, but there are great alternatives around the city. Also, the volume of options in New York can feel overwhelming at first, so having a loose plan or must-see list can really help you make the most of your time in the city.


𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂. 𝐒𝐨… 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 ?

I didn’t quite make it! I sadly did not find the time to visit The Bronx Museum of the Arts or El Museo del Barrio. There’s probably a few other museums too, but these two were the ones I wanted to visit. It's all right though, I’ll cross them off my list next time! That said, I did manage to visit The Met five times.

Interview Questions: Emma Termonen

Published: August 9, 2025