My summer internship with RxArt ended just about two weeks ago. I’m back in Chicago now, preparing to leave for Italy for the semester! In Italy, I will be studying at an art school, so my time at RxArt was the perfect introduction to the art world. One of the highlights of my internship was actually meeting and getting a private studio tour of Italian artist (now living in NY), Maurizio Pellegrin. He was so interesting and welcoming and gave me a bunch of recommendations for things to do in Italy.
At the beginning of this summer, I set some objectives for my internship. They all pointed towards the larger goal of strengthing my skills and confidence in my abilities. I definitely think that I’ve met those goals, but not necessarily in the way I expected to. My internship was really amazing in giving me plenty of responsibility and opportunity, but I think one of the most important takeaways from this summer for me was that no one has everything all figured out. From the very beginning of the internship process, I was worried about being underqualified and unprepared. For a while, I let that fear hold me back from applying to certain internships. Although I didn’t feel I had everything RxArt was looking for, I was really excited about their mission and it inspired me to apply anyways, and as you can see, I got it! This was the first time I realized that by only applying myself to things I felt I was good at, I was actually really limiting myself. This has been a lesson that has remained true throughout my internship. There were often times when I realized I had the most experience out of anyone in the office when it came to something like an app. Other times, I was surprised how quickly I picked up learning a new software or website layout, despite knowing nothing about it before. Being that RxArt is such a small time, there were also times where it was necessary I take over someone else’s job for a bit, even if it wasn’t related to my own work. As I move forward from this internship, I have the confidence to keep applying to things that may seem out of my reach, to take on projects and challenges I don’t have perfectly figured out, and to be open to new situations. Having now completed my internship, I think the next step I want to take is to learn about the more creative side of the art world/advertising world in general. I now have a solid understanding of managing a company’s image, but I’d like to learn to help create and design that image in the first place.
For students interested in an internship at RxArt, or any art organization, I would recommend really doing your research beforehand. Know which galleries, museums, artists, and clients the organization has relationships with. Be up to date on the contemporary art world, and be able to offer your opinion on artists, shows, and pieces. Because the art world revolves heavily around connections, being able to speak about works and artists is essential to meeting and impressing the right people. I think especially as women, its important that you present yourself at interviews, and even once you’ve secured the internship/job, as qualified and confident. We as women have a tendency to be humble, to let others take credit for our work rather than risk making a scene, to downplay our abilities. As I mentioned before, no one is as qualified as you think. All that matters is that you’re passionate and willing to work hard, learn, and adapt. If you’re excited about and interested in the job, approach it with confidence.