Jordan Barrette Interns via Zoom at Master Craftsman Studio
from FSU Art BA ’21 Jordan Barrette:
Although the majority of the FSU Master Craftsman Studio (MCS) internship was via zoom, the experience helped me adjust to the new normal for many companies. My responsibilities encapsulated working on a virtual platform and meeting Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A big chunk of my responsibilities was designing a mural to help advertise and tie FSU traditions with the modern works that MCS has curated. I became a fabricator on this project and collaborated with the other interns to combine our mural ideas.
To make communication smoother with all of the interns, we began to utilize the online platform, Teams. This digital platform helped us communicate efficiently, especially when submitting new ideas and files. We originally started merging ideas separately, but then we began merging all the designs over Zoom. One person would screen share while everyone else added their input and edits to the design. Editing as a group via Zoom was extremely helpful and made editing more efficient than if we were all in person gathered around a laptop. Over the summer, I will help MCS install and paint the mural onto the building.
Even though the start of the internship was virtual, in March, we were finally able to meet at the studio after hours to start working hands-on. I am currently working on a stain glass project that is lead by MCS glass expert Karen. With Karen’s guidance, I have learned about the various types of glass and techniques to cut glass. Making connections with the fabricators at MCS is a huge perk of this internship. I would recommend this internship to other creators that want to learn both the business side of art and how to curate work that MCS specializes in. The team at MCS are all experts in their fields. All of the fabricators are a lot of fun. They are always excited to teach and share their knowledge and experience in their fields with me. I hope to utilize my skills learned this semester in my future artistic endeavors.
