Immersed in Art

Hello! My name is Pavita Sidhu and I am currently a rising senior majoring in both Art and English. This summer, I secured an internship at The Gallery George in Vancouver, B.C., where I am originally from.

My role as Gallery Intern includes a variety of tasks, with every day containing something new and different. The gallery puts on monthly exhibitions which allows me to be immersed in a variety of art, and talk to many artists that live in BC and across Canada. When we are in anticipation of an upcoming exhibition, there are many things that need to be completed and prepped prior to the opening reception, which typically happens on the first Friday of the month.

After the artists have been chosen and their work shipped to the gallery, I take time to do inventory and create their title tags and artists bios for the upcoming show. One of the larger tasks is during ‘The Flip,’ which is a day dedicated to taking the old art down, and curating the layout of the gallery with the new art we receive. It has been a great experience learning how to curate an exhibition, as I am able to develop my critical thinking skills with space, color and theme. I am also able to interact with a variety of mediums, from paintings, to fiber arts and sculpture, it has been an interesting experience working with contrasting materials to make a cohesive show.

On top of curating, I also have a research component to my internship. My larger project I have been working on throughout the internship is to design a trifold brochure for the gallery that will be displayed in hotels and coffee shops in Downtown Vancouver. I went through many drafts and edits before landing a concept that both myself and my Supervisor, Theresa Mura, enjoyed. From there, I was focused on making a cohesive pamphlet that showcased some of the great pieces of art that have been exhibited in the gallery. With this project I was able to exercise my design and bookmaking skills which I had learned in my art classes at Whitman, applying what I had learnt in the classroom to industry situations.

This internship has helped me build on skills which I had learnt in an academic setting, as well as teach me valuable lessons and insights into the art world. Working in a larger city, I am able to witness how diverse the art world is, and find new mediums and styles which I am interested in, and can draw inspiration from. This internship is aiding me in my goals to explore opportunities in the art world which I would not be able to previously. Learning how an exhibition space functions allows me to build business skills, adding to my education outside of the classroom. Overall this internship has been a great experience, and I appreciate the opportunity I had to work with Theresa, and the rest of The Gallery George team.