My Humbling yet Spectacular Internship
Isabella Kirkland, Squat Lobsters, 2021, Oil & alkyd on wood panel, 20 x 20 inches.
My SCAD MFA degree program requires two internships: students may choose either a field or teaching position. I completed my first field internship in fall of 2023 with a local museum, MarinMOCA. The internship coincides with the 10-week university quarter, requiring 15 hours per week, the same commitment as a 5-credit class. Internships can be paid or unpaid. Regardless, students must pay SCAD for the internship course to receive credit. The student intern pays for the privilege and opportunity to obtain on the job training.
My first project was to craft a series of Instagram posts for MarinMOCA’s annual gala, ArtFWD. A gallery exhibition was created with artwork donated by notable local artists and galleries, which would be auctioned online or live at the event. The auction also included experience packages consisting of studio or gallery tours along with a group lunch or dinner. To prep the artwork images for the Instagram posts, I used Canva. It is a tool I was aware of, having used it for approvals though not for production. Learning to use Canva was a helpful skill for my own art marketing. Better yet, there is a free version, so it is readily accessible.
After the gala, which I sadly could not attend because I was away on a pre-planned trip, I created draft versions of thank-you letters to artists, galleries, donors and auction winners. This required learning the online auction software to extract sales data as well as dusting off my MS Word mail merge skills from the distant past. It was highly valuable to expand my knowledge of tech tools and the ways in which the arts community uses Instagram. Bonus: I became a donor, purchasing a print from the silent auction by Sausalito artist Isabella Kirkland, Squat Lobsters.
The second project was marketing for the museum’s national juried art show, There is Magic Here. Though I personally submitted work, it was not accepted by the juror. I extracted artist statements from the show entry software called Zapp and grouped them thematically for weekly Instagram posts. I analyzed how various artists’ submissions addressed the show’s theme and discovered new artists I admire. SCAD emphasizes the importance of the artist statement and this provided the occasion to see them in action.
Returning to the entry level role of marketing intern was a restraining experience after my prior job as a sales and marketing executive. Other students have shared similar perceptions about their internship experiences. Fortunately, the benefits were many as I gained broad exposure to many artists and galleries that are important players in the Bay Are art scene. I received valuable insights about the work of curators, galleries, and professional artists, the crucial role of networking, and established important local relationships in the community. My first internship was a humbling but spectacular rung in my evolution as a professional artist. I thank SCAD and MarinMOCA for the opportunity!
May 1, 2024