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My Experience at 701 CCA


Before I applied for this internship, I wasn't familiar with 701 Center for Contemporary Arts. I had passed by the 701 Whaley building for years, unaware of that there was an art gallery hidden within. After doing some research, I realized how involved 701 CCA is with the local arts community, as well as the arts community around the South. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I decided to apply and take a chance. I am glad I did, since this 3-month internship has given me some great experiences.

Previously, I never thought about how much planning and work is done behind the scenes for an art gallery. The workload flows pretty steadily: When one exhibition is done it’s time for de-install, then installation. This is pretty obvious, but what isn’t is how an art gallery on the second floor of a building manages to get a life-size painting of a polar bear into the gallery, when the painting itself doesn’t fit into the building’s elevators (It was a bear to carry, literally). Installation and de-installation gave me more confidence working with my hands- particularly with a power drill. I also worked on MailChimp, occasionally putting together an email for an event or a newsletter for an exhibition. These opportunities helped me develop my writing skills, in addition to giving me general experience with the MailChimp software.

Another great part about interning at 701 CCA was interacting with the artists while installing and de-installing their work. As a Media Arts major, it was inspiring to see the different creative processes that artists underwent to create their work. Being able to speak to most of these artists personally was another great opportunity to learn how different people approach similar ideas or problems.

Lastly, I was able to develop useful skills for my career while I interned at 701 CCA: I was able to take event photos and even put together a video for the 2019 South Arts Exhibition, on top of designing some promotional materials for various events. Hannah is very understanding and tries to shape the internship into a meaningful experience for each intern, based on their skills and interests. Ultimately, I’m grateful for the experience and for how much I’ve learned within the short period I’ve worked at 701 CCA.

Check out the video I created here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w2nq4ylc9chx2dm/gallery%20video%20first%20draft.mp4?dl=0

-Cole O'Neill




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