April Cluess Interns at 621 Gallery

From FSU Art BFA ’19 April Cluess:

“When I first moved from upstate New York to Tallahassee, the thing that most impressed me was 621 Gallery. The environment seemed so inclusive and contemporary. When I applied to 621, I went into the internship wanting to learn more about arts administration as well as how to display work in a gallery. Essentially, I wanted to learn everything I could from this gallery so that I could grow as an artist and gain professional skills in the field.

I was exposed to some of the important things that go into writing grants for a non profit organization. Board member Lauren Baker invited me to attend a meeting with a local company, Community Foundation of North Florida, to get a sense of what characteristics might be more beneficial for obtaining a grant. This was not my main focus as an intern, though. Transitioning between exhibitions, which change every month, I was able to assist with installing and uninstalling the artwork in the gallery. This was the task I was most excited to get into. Some days, it was very hard work. One specific task the other interns and I had to do was patch all holes in the wall. This seems simple, but it is meditative and tedious labor. It exposed me to the smallest details so important to making things work.

The best part about getting involved at 621 Gallery is networking. So many interesting and talented people are affiliated with the gallery. I feel so honored to be able to work and meet with them. I was even able to show my work at the Art + Tech Fest in July, which was an amazing and unexpected opportunity. I was able to contribute to Laptop Sockhop, their monthly music event, by creating animations for the show. I also created a drawing wall for visitors to free-draw as they listened to music. While my time at FSU has been very motivating and challenging, working with 621 Gallery has placed me in the “real world’ so-to-speak. This experience has made me feel even more sure that I made the right decision in moving to Tallahassee and pursuing my passions in the arts. I intend to stay involved with 621 Gallery as a volunteer after my internship ends”