Once upon a time in 2017, I worked part-time as a production assistant at the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC), collaborating with the design team to install and maintain their interactive art displays. The museum was housed in the historic 5-story Savings Union Bank building (more recently an Armani Exchange). I’m not a superstitious person but that place is in the top ten on my Probably Haunted list. That or there may have been a slow gas leak. I wouldn’t rule out either.
Most of my job happened after hours. I would come in after the exhibits closed and do routine maintenance and repair work. We had banana swings, candy carousels, animal cookie kiddie rides, gummy bear forests. It was a fun place to spend the afternoon. It also required a lot of trips to the hardware store. I worked closely with the design and operations team to address daily issues in creative ways.
It was a fun place to spend the afternoon. It also required a lot of trips to the hardware store.
Some of my more notable contributions include installing the ice cream sandwich swing, along with the ice cream cabinets, hanging signs, and registers, and the neon diver sign by the sprinkle pool. I had to fix the kiddie rides every day. They always broke down. A lot of the installations needed constant repair. Everything was more or less interactive for the guest. They put their hands on everything, climbed on everything, and broke it all too. This job tested my skills in handiwork and carpentry. With my experience in manufacturing from art framing jobs, live event crewing, and set building for film and stage production, I was well-prepared. The role required all of this knowledge and more. Some days were spent repairing drywall, some were spent sculpting unicorn horns. There was always something to be done.
It was one of my favorite jobs ever. If it had been full-time with benefits, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. All the staff had ice cream nicknames, and that was how we addressed each other. Mine was Superman. I reported to Mochi. As it stands, the MOIC is closed now- replaced by some other experiential museum that has also closed for good. It seems that time has passed.
My biggest takeaway? The value of good knee pads and a reliable hardware store. If you’re in San Francisco, I recommend Cole’s at 4th & Market.
