Eli Goldstone Improves his Sculptural & Fabrication Abilities with Internship at Master Craftsman Studio

from FSU Art BFA ’20 Eli Goldstone:

This past Fall 2020 semester, I was able to return for a second internship position at Master Craftsman Studio (MCS), which specializes in the fabrication and installation of many of the artworks around FSU’s campus. The opportunity to work alongside professional studio artists would only serve to improve my ability as a sculptor and fabricator. Unfortunately my internship was cut short last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this semester, the staff at MCS have put together a way for interns to still work and help out.

As of now, most of our meetings and studio time have been done online and from home. This means we’ve had to adapt to primarily working digitally when creating sketches, models etc. Though we aren’t able to work in person, collaboration between the interns has been very easy due to tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Our responsibilities as interns have therefore changed slightly. In my previous experience as an intern, we were expected to help out on studio projects that were usually already past the design stages and into the fabrication stage. This semester, we’ve been given more responsibility and trust from the MCS staff to create designs for various projects commissioned by clients. For example, myself and the other interns have been working on a design for a set of sculptures to be mounted to the side of a local church’s facade. With this new responsibility, we were also lucky enough to be present and to discuss our designs during the design meetings with the clients. This experience has made me realized that this internship not only provides experience with fabrication, but also with design skills as well. Additionally, us interns have been given the opportunity to create a design for a mural to be painted on the side of the MCS studio.

My favorite thing about the Master Craftsman internship is the fact that the studio employees repeatedly express their interest in what you want to learn. As a result, I was able to use the water jet located at the FSU’s Materials Research Building to help fabricate an aluminum cradle for my BFA thesis. Though this internship would be great for anyone looking to eventually work in the fabrication industry, it is also a great opportunity to understand what it is like to work in a professional studio setting (and hopefully future interns will be able to work in the studio soon). Additionally, students working in all mediums are welcomed at this internship. The studio provides equal opportunities to work in all mediums.