At animas, there is a graduation requirement for all juniors to do a three week link internship. Link stands for Leading Internships for new knowledge, and the main purpose of this internship is gain new skills, explore possible careers, and to take what you've learned in the classroom and apply it to the real world.
My Internship:
For my link internship, I traveled all the way to New York City to work with two artists named Jen Catron and Paul outlaw. While I was there, I helped them create mini sculptures and contributed to the preparation for their most recent art show. with help from my mentors, I was able to develop new artistic abilities, advertising skills, professional communication tactics, and most importantly I got a glimpse of what my future could look like! overall, I had the most amazing time and it was a truly special experience getting to have an early taste of independence in my preferred career field.
Business Description:
Jen and Paul collaborate in art and in life, they have been working together to create amazing conceptual art for even longer than they've been married. The two of them create mixed media artwork that makes statements on social issues our country faces along with some art made just for fun! They own a warehouse in Williamsburg Brooklyn called the factory where they and other creatives collaborate to solve creative-based problems. The factory Specializes in architectural fabrication and permanent fixtures, event fabrication, photography sets, pop-ups, custom props, retail displays, scenic painting, carpentry, metalworking, 3D-printing, CNC-milling, and custom signage. Jen and Paul however, are also independent artists and spend the majority of their time creating artworks for galleries and museums!
When I was asked to create a project to bring back to Durango, immediately I knew that I just had to make some art. since I spent the majority of my time in nyc working with clay, I wanted to have my project involve that medium so I could demonstrate some of the new techniques I had learned. obviously I wasn't able to completely master sculpting in the weeks I spent working in Brooklyn, however I would say that I mastered some serious self-expression skills and confidence. so, I can confidently say that I wanted to create a piece of art that's personal to me but also might make it's viewers a little uncomfortable. I decided to create a display using mixed mediums, one of those being clay, that is inspired by my experience as a teenage girl. more specifically, my relationship as a young woman with the bathroom... the bathroom is the one place where I can be authentically myself and I believe that Theres nothing more raw than your very own reflection.