Reflecting on the Fall 2021 Semester
I have never had a job working on a college campus before. I can without a doubt say that working here at The Julio Fine Arts Gallery this semester was nothing short of exciting. So many things were done this semester such as interacting with the artwork, making connections with people who walk in, and of course writing the blogs about the exhibits.
Sitting in the same spot and looking at the same exhibition every day at work may seem boring, but I would have to disagree and say that it is anything but that. Walking into the gallery each day brings lots of new surprises. The artwork doesn’t move, but each time I look, I notice something new. I was heavily involved with art during my four years of high school and freshman year of college. Whereas some people view art classes as a core class that fills up a credit, I look at it as a new experience. I think that is why working here has been such an interesting experience. It allows for me to look at the artwork every day and maybe notice something new that I had not seen before. It is exciting when a new exhibit is being set up because I am already looking forward to seeing the new pieces before they are hanging on the walls. Every day is truly different, and I never know what I am going to notice next.
Making connections has also been a big part of my experience while working here. A lot of the time, the same people will stop by more than once throughout the running of the exhibit. I love talking to people about the art and trying to answer any of the questions they may have. I love interacting with guests whether it is a Starbucks employee, a student, or a nice gentleman that comes in to chat about life every Tuesday or Thursday. Without working at the gallery, I would never have been fortunate enough to talk to some of these people that are constant visitors. I look forward to sitting down every day and waiting for someone to walk through the doors to the gallery.
Finally, one of the best aspects of working here such a great experience must have been writing the gallery blogs. When I first started here, we didn’t really have to do much other than sit at the desk and count how many people came in to look at the art. When we were told that we would have more responsibility, I was not quite sure what that meant. We were offered five positions and I ended up with the job of writing the blog for the gallery. At first, I had no idea what that meant. Later, I found myself writing about various pieces of artwork as if it were my own and even writing about the people who created the artwork. I have always loved English class which means I never cared much about writing papers as it just came naturally to me. That is why I think writing these blogs has been such a great experience. It has allowed for me to combine my love for art along with my writing ability. When I write a blog, I hope that I can make some of the things in the gallery more interesting and even cause curious people to walk in and look for themselves.
Working at The Julio Fine Arts Gallery has been nothing short of exciting. Every day brings something new, and I get to enjoy the artwork all around me. I can’t wait to continue writing these blogs and see what next exhibits might pop up next! As always, feel free to walk into the gallery and experience artwork in a way that you might never have experienced before.
