FSU Art BA ’17 Gabrielle Vega’s Internship at 621 Gallery

In order to get another studio class under my belt, I decided to become a summer intern at 621 Gallery. As a Studio Art major I was pretty excited to be learning about what it takes to maintain a proper gallery. This specific gallery has been around for quite a long time and has made an imprint on the Tallahassee community. I knew that by interning here I would be able to learn different skills that could help me in the future when applying to jobs.

My job this summer was Gallery Management and Exhibitions. This meant that I was going to help the gallery with exhibition installs and de-installs. Over the summer we had two large exhibitions. We worked will all kinds of artwork such as soft sculpture, paintings, installations, and so on. As an artist myself it was extremely helpful to learn how to properly handle and display artwork. This was an opportunity that really equipped me with the knowledge I need in order to handle work in the future. Gallery Management and Exhibitions wasn’t just helpful with teaching me how to handle work, but it also gave me the opportunity to learn how to network in the local art community.

Over the summer there were many events held at the gallery. After setting up the gallery, the interns were in charge of selling beverages. As small as that sounds, selling people beverages really provided us the opportunity to talk to visitors of the gallery and different artists. In fact, while I was working an event one night I met a local artist and wound up getting a job helping her in her studio.

Interning for 621 Gallery over the summer was not only great for the credit, but also taught me an immense amount about the needs of a gallery. It was eventful and exciting working in a gallery that has been around for decades. Now that I am entering the workforce in a matter of months, I feel as though I am confident in my art handling skills, and that will help me in the future.