By the end of my first year at 69热视频, during which I was introduced to Art History, the subject went from an interesting elective to my major. Entering my third year in the program, my courses have primarily focused on classic art in the Renaissance to Neoclassical eras, with some ventures into modern artists and their works. My goal was to find a gallery in Montreal that focused on art of today in order to build on the knowledge I have accumulated at 69热视频, the bulk of which lies in older periods. Wallcandy, which specializes in Pop Art, Street Art, and Mixed Media Art, fit that description. Through my internship, I hoped to gain valuable real world experience, and learn as much as I could about the functioning of a gallery, as well as explore a new and exciting genre of art. The gallery prioritizes promoting smaller artists, and giving them a platform to display their art while also striving to provide high quality art at a price that is accessible to the everyday person.
As an intern, my wide range of responsibilities allowed me to improve a variety of different skills. I wrote a weekly newsletter with updates on new artists or collections; I assisted in website updates, layouts and design; I worked with graphic design software to create logos; I edited videos featuring new artists; I regularly communicated with various artists about possible collaborations; and I researched new trends in art and potential artists that would fit in well with the gallery鈥檚 aesthetic. My work representing the gallery and communicating directly with artists gave me a concrete idea of how collaborations work in the art world and a better understanding of the business aspects of a gallery-artist partnership. My internship also allowed me to take a creative lead on graphic design projects like a logo redesign for Wallcandy鈥檚 video interview series, 鈥淲allTalk.鈥� One of the most notable takeaways and highlights of my internship was getting to experience and learn about an entirely new genre of art. By exploring the work of artists who specialized in subgenres of Pop Art, I learned about the many intriguing variations of the genre, including mixed media collage and Pop Art photography.
I am incredibly thankful to the Arts Student Employment Fund for the funding I received for my internship. Living in Montreal for the summer and staying in the same time zone as my employer and the majority of artists and business I was communicating with was crucial. I used the funding I received for living expenses 鈥� including rent, wifi, and groceries 鈥� which allowed me to stay in my Montreal apartment and work on the East coast. Even through an entirely remote internship, I was still able to build a strong relationship with the gallery through regular Zoom calls and consistent email communication. I was quickly able to adapt to a remote internship, as many of my responsibilities revolved around online tasks. For example, I worked with my supervisor to develop a stronger social media presence for Wallcandy and strengthen their online presence. The remote format sometimes made it hard to focus and spend the day inside on my computer, but I quickly realized that developing and sticking to a strict routine made it much easier to get my work done efficiently.
I am looking forward to applying the new breadth of knowledge I have acquired during the summer to the remainder of my Art History degree. So much of Art History is understanding the evolution of societal trends and how artworks reflect the environment they were created in. Familiarity with a new style of art will allow me to identify patterns in modern art that I may not have realized without learning about Pop Art, Street Art, and Mixed Media Art. My internship with Wallcandy has provided me with a great introduction to a variety of new art genres, but I was especially drawn to the evolution of Mixed Media art, and where it鈥檚 popularity today stems from. I look forward to researching this style, and exploring it鈥檚 different subgenres further next semester while writing my research paper under the supervision of Dr. Angela Vanhaelen. Artists working in Mixed Media art are growing increasingly more creative with different combinations of mediums that haven鈥檛 been seen before. The endless possibilities that Mixed Media Art provides is what most intrigues me about it, and I am eager to begin more in-depth research.
