Wrapping It Up

I really learned a lot this summer. I got to see the ins and outs of working at an Arts Center, from the more hands-on art classes and projects, to the daily happenings of the conjoined coffee shop.

I spent a lot of the first few weeks hanging art shows and doing little projects around the arts center, such as painting and decorating bulletin boards with chalkboard paint and updating events pages throughout the building.

I also spent a lot of time on social media, Facebook and Instagram in particular. On Facebook, Nicole showed me how to make mass posts to all the various parents/children's/art groups she's a part of. I found this aspect of involving social media to be very helpful for my own work, as multiple people have recently contacted me through both Instagram and Facebook to inquire about shooting with me. As such, I've been able to apply what I've learned directly to receive positive results.

When summer classes started, I spent a lot of time wrangling kids and working on creative projects. I made slime, raced cardboard cars, and learned a bit about sewing and paper-making. Though I can get impatient with children at times, I found it to be extremely rewarding when their parents would see what they'd been doing all day. The kids themselves loved to get messy, and it was inspiring to see what their creative little minds came up with.

All in all, this summer has been a continually rewarding learning experience. Nicole and her husband, along with the other employees, made me feel incredibly welcome and included. I got to see the multi-faceted aspects of running an art center, and got some great feedback and personal instruction as well. I will forever be grateful for this enriching opportunity.