I have been interning at COCA, The Council on Culture and The Arts, for about 3 months now, and I cannot believe how much I have already learned. Every Tuesday and Thursday I go into the office to learn from my incredible boss, Amanda Thompson. When we aren’t installing solo and group shows at both the Tallahassee airport gallery and City Hall, Amanda is showing me the behind the scenes work that has to be put into the creation of an exhibit. From the formation of submission forms, to the judging of excepted works, and all the little things in between like labels, brochures, slides, and spreadsheets, I never could have imagined all of the components to creating a show. 
Most of my time at COCA is spent on the computer, usually working in Microsoft Word or Excel. I believe the most important thing I have learned that happens behind the scenes is the importance of organization and correct labeling. I have always been organized, but after seeing all that goes into creating an exhibit, I have learned that documents, folders, and file names are key. When it comes to installing a show, everything I now know is because of my time at COCA. My favorite part has been curation. Getting a part in deciding the layout is always exciting, and I love finding reasons why pieces go together. I would absolutely recommend this internship to other students. Even though I have another semester left until it is over, I am already dreading saying goodbye to all of the great people there. I have learned so much and will be forever grateful for my experience.
