Hello!

It’s been a while since my last post. I have a lot to catch up on!

First and foremost, I just finished my internship at Howard Yezerski Gallery! I can’t believe it’s already over, I’m really going to miss being there. But what an experience! I was lucky enough to fill in for the gallery director, Margaret, while she was away on vacation. I couldn’t have possibly had a better time. I learned so much and met so many great artists. Fortunately, I will be back in September to help hang the new exhibition, LISTEN by artist and photographer, Rhona Bitner. Rhona has been traveling all across the country making amazing photographs of famous concert halls and arenas, some still holding concerts of the biggest stars in music, and others that have seen their time come and go. I’m really looking forward to seeing these large scale photos hang in the gallery and not to mention, possibly meeting the artist herself.

We are in the last two weeks of the summer semester, then it’s the start of the 2012 fall semester! Weird to think I won’t be joining classes come September 4th. But I’m sure I’ll be plenty busy on the job hunt.  I’ll be sure to post my step by step process and experience as a first year graduate from the fine arts program. Luckily, there are some really great online resources for recent graduates, or anyone, looking for a job.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the fine arts seniors will be doing this coming year. I will definitely popping back into the school to see  all the great things they will be up to!

It’s official: Summer classes have ended and I now have a bachelors degree in fine arts! Not to mention I’m a Suffolk University Alumni as well! All these fancy titles for having graduated college. Go me!

I saw Keri today for the first time since we de-installed our thesis show. Her thesis work in the white box is coming down, only to be installed at the Adams Gallery at Suffolk University’s law school. Congratulations again to Keri, for winning the fine arts award. I can’t wait to see the work in a gallery setting!

I briefly saw John last week, working at Carroll and Sons Gallery, as I was leaving my internship and heading to work. It’s great John and I work so close to one another and can easily keep in touch. We haven’t seen each other in a couple weeks however – so it was great to chit chat for a few minutes. We had an opportunity to look at open studio space and potentially rent for a few months. Unfortunately that fell through, so we won’t be sharing studio space. But we have made arrangements to get together and lucky for me, he and Alexsa are roommates, so I get to hang out with two of my fellow fine art alumni!

It’s so strange not seeing my professors and fellow fine artists everyday. I miss everyone so much!  A couple days ago Audrey popped into school, which was such a nice surprise – we caught up on what we had been doing the past couple weeks since the Senior Brunch and what she informed me of what everyone from class was doing as well!

It was great to hear that everyone had got internships doing something in the arts!  John had an internship at Carroll and Sons Gallery for two years, and is now working full time as the assistant manager! Congrats John!

Alexsa just got an internship with WGBH! Go Lex! – I can’t wait to hear about how it’s going!

Perla got an internship as well at a gallery in Boston’s South End, The Medicine Wheel.  Perla is interested in finding a profession that gets her community involved in the arts and using art as a form of expression. The Medicine Wheel does exactly that! They are a non-profit organization that is aimed at strengthening their community through creative expression by making public art. Congrats Perla! I can’t wait to catch up and hear all about it.

Last but not least, Katia is the intern for medical illustrations at the University of Massachusetts Medical School! Afterwards  she’s planning to travel to Greece until the end of September/early October to study & learn Byzantine art.

Lastly, Keri – Keri has moved to Virginia with her sister for the summer. Congratulations to Keri, who won the fine arts awards, so fortunately  she will be back next month to install her work at the Law School.

I’m so happy to hear everyone is already doing great things & so early out of graduation –  I’m looking forward to hearing what’s to come!

Last week was my first week as an intern at Howard Yezerski Gallery. What a busy first day! A new show is installed the Wednesday before the first of the month. Fortunately for me, my first day happened to be on one of those crazy Wednesdays. Although it was overwhelming, I learned so much the first day!

First, we took down work that was being displayed in the back gallery by artist Carl Baden. A collector arranged to come into the gallery to look at work by artist Lalla Essaydi. It was a large C41 print on aluminum titled The Grand Odalisque. I had never seen her work before, and I was completely astounded when I saw it, let alone being the one touching it! She combines Islamic calligraphy with representations of the female body, addressing the complex reality of Arab female identity from her own, unique personal experience.

During this time, Paul Shakespeare who just had a show in the main gallery last month, was taking down his paintings so we could get the new work up and in the gallery as quickly as possible. I was fortunate enough to meet Paul, who is an awesome guy! – Really laid back and has a sort-of dry sense of humor. I got to talking to him for a while in the gallery about graduation and what my plans are from here.

I did a bit of everything this day – from hanging up work, to accommodating collector’s, to drilling, spackling, lifting and organizing artist works. It was an exhausting day but I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Margaret and Howard were so welcoming and helpful, I feel extremely grateful to be given such an opportunity in this gallery!

Last week we had our last scheduled meeting with Audrey & Randal, followed by de-installing the thesis show! That went by way to quick

We got together at school before heading over to Finale to chat about our past four years at The School. Aud and Randal were so generous for treating us to a coffee and dessert!

The debrief is a really great way for Audrey and Randal to get our feedback on our experience over the past four years. Starting from our freshman year in the foundation program, to transitioning into the fine arts program all the way through planning and installing our final Thesis work.

They are always looking to improve the program and what better way then getting information from us! We had plenty to say about what was working really well in the program to what we wish we had more of or could have changed.

Aud said we gave her the best feedback she’s had in a few years! Apparently we feel just as passionately about the program as she does. I really don’t know what I’m going to do without them next year!

The following Friday after the crits was the long awaited opening reception of our Senior Thesis Show  - Lead to Gold – which was also a night that First Friday’s was happening at the Thayer St. galleries.

Friday night was absolutely perfect! We had a really great turn out. It was so lovely to meet everyone’s friends and family who showed so much support for everyone!

My parents and my boyfriend made the trip to the city to see my show. It was a big week for my sister at my sister’s school, who is just ending her freshman year, so unfortunately she wasn’t able to make it. But I’m looking forward to the brunch in just a few short weeks, that she will definitely be attending! We had a lovely dinner following the show with my parents downstairs at Davio’s. If you haven’t been – I absolutely suggest going. The service and food was absolutely incredible! It was the perfect ending to a good show! Later I went out to celebrate with my fellow fine artists I am going to miss you guys so much!

It’s been a little over a week since I had my last and final crit at NESAD. Our guest critic was Al Miner, assistant curator at the MFA Boston.

What a long day! And I was the first student to kick start this endless day of crits! Al had some awesome things to say about my work that will further help me as I transition from a student to a practicing studio artist! Al had a great personality and sense of humor that really broke the ice right at the start of the day. He was very disarming and the crits went along as a big conversation, way to break the tension! What was great about Al is that he is a practicing studio artist as well as a curator, so we got opinions both from an artist and curatorial standpoint. It was great to hear viewpoints about object placement in the gallery but also advice on materials and working process in the studio. Not only did I, but everyone, had really great feedback from Al. We couldn’t have had a better guest speaker!

Following this long, 6-hour critique day was my art history exam. But I can’t complain – I got everything (everything meaning all my exams and crits) done and out of the way in one day, and at the beginning of exam week. So the long day paid off – and I did pretty well on my art history exam! Go senior year!

Now it’s time to relax and recuperate before the start of summer classes. Then I can officially say my college career is DONE.

I got the internship for Howard Yezerski this summer! I couldn’t be happier, this is a great way to end my senior year! I start in June and I’ll be working through the whole summer. I’ll be working on a summer project, organizing inventory and making sure all information on the work is there. I’m looking forward to spending time with Howard and his assistant Margaret. They were both so welcoming and I think we’re going to have a great time this summer!

Today is a great day! I got an email this morning from Howard Yezerski Gallery asking me to come in for an interview! I couldn’t be happier! Tomorrow at 11:30 is the big day!

This week (the last week of classes!)  is a crazy mix of emotions from stress to excitement and relief that pieces are getting finished and everything is finally coming together!

We have three days – and counting – to finalize our thesis work in preparation to hang on Saturday! Is this week really here already? Today is my last photography class, which I’m going to miss so much! I learned a great deal in this class, now I’ll be able to take fabulous pictures all summer long!

Friday was the Illustration opening. What a turn out! I really enjoyed the show. Naturally there are a lot of cartoons that bring me back to my childhood which is a nice change from this crazy, senior year life. The turn out was great, most of the artists attended the reception that was followed by a talk on the History of American Illustration by Murray Tinkelman, director of the Low-Residency Illustration MFA Program at University of Hartford. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make the artist talk, but it was great to chat with the artists in the show and hear about what they’re doing, life after college, since that will be me in just a few short weeks!

One more week of classes and we’ll be into finals. Wasn’t it January just yesterday?

Its hit me that we’ve come to get the end of the semester once we start getting final course evaluations together at the front desk. Not to mention they will be distributed only next week! Fliers preparing students for locker clean out and other end of the semester notifications have been sent out!

On the other hand, things are really starting to come together for our thesis show. We’ve been practicing artist talks and having lots of studio time to finalize our work. Only a week from Saturday and we hang the show!

After Saturday this semester is really going to finish up quickly. Monday morning we record our artist talks in the gallery infront of Audrey, Randal and the dreaded video camera! But there shouldn’t be too much pressure, we’ve been getting in lots of practice so the talk should be a breeze!

Recording Monday is the perfect because we will be able to finalize our artist talks before our final crit on Tuesday with a guest reviewer! Tuesday is a long day in the fine arts program. Crits are all day from 9-5 AND this semester I have an art history exam that evening. Oh the life of a student. On the bright side, this is the ONLY day I have crits and exams!