I decided to attend University of Dreams on awhim.  I was home over Christmasbreak and received and email from an alum and was immediately interested in theopportunity.  Mostly I chose to dothis program because of how easy it was to apply and get help looking for aninternship and create a résumé.  Atthis point I was not (and am still not) really sure what I want to do when “Igrow up”.  So my grand plan was touse this summer as a learning experience. Apply for internships that sounded interesting and like something Imight possibly want to do, interview and chose one.  I would be just finishing my first year of college and thenmoving to Chicago for the summer to explore!  I ended up with what seemed to be an amazing internshipworking in an art gallery in the gallery loop.  Not being from Chicago I had no idea why the location was soamazing but my gallery was in the gallery loop! And this is what I toldinquiring family members who all oooed and awed over what im sure they had noidea about either.  So at the endof the school year I packed up and headed to Chicago.  Moving from a very rural town in the middle of no where Ohioto downtown Chicago was an extremely big change although fortunately I am veryadaptable and embraced all the opportunities the city held.  The first week was a little toughfiguring how to get to work on a bus that sped down one-way streets andscreeched to a halt at stops that may or may not be announced.  However after about the first week Igot the hang of it and could get to and from work no problem.  Then I broadened my horizons to includesome shopping places other galleries in the gallery loop, which I found out isa few blocks close together where there are some of the more well known smallgalleries, all close together trying to draw in potential clients, and even theparks off Michigan avenue.  Andafter almost 6 weeks of being in the city I cant imagine going back to schoolin a town that is made up of the school. 

            Thisprogram has lead me to many discoveries about myself about my career path aboutpeople in general and about getting what you want.  It is an amazing opportunity that I would recommend to allyoung adults before they jump into the real world.  It gives you the chance to discover who you are, what you value,where you want to live, where you want to work and so much more.  Not only just through the internshiphave I learned but also through the speakers that the program brings in, theoutings that we attend and the people that I have met.  The speakers have been a real learningexperience as these successful adults share their stories about how they gotwhat they wanted.  I think it isimportant to know that you can achieve whatever it is you want if you work hardenough.  After going to one of thespeakers I decided I needed to figure out what it is that I want to do when Igrow up, who I want to be.  Now sofar I know that its not an interior architect or a business major however thatstill leaves quite a few professions to chose from and what would I be goodat?  So inspired by the weeklyspeaker I made some calls and set up a meeting with a Public Relations personsince this is my chosen path as of late and I want to know what they do.  I mean Sex and the City makes the joblook fantastic and glamours as Samantha interacts with the rich and famoushowever in reality I know that this isn’t what PR agents really do.  Also the program has encouraged me totalk to adults about what it is that they do.  You never know who will have an exciting career that you envyand want so talk to everyone. 

            Thisprogram has so much to offer and I am so fortunate to have run across it andhad the opportunity to participate in such a rewarding experience.  It is definitely an experience that Ihave learned and grown from and one that I will never forget.     

My internship has been such a great learningexperience.  I came in know somethings about art, definitely enjoying and appreciating it.  My boss runs a small gallery that hasmany artists and features amazing shows. I came in and the gallery had two artists being featured Maleonn and hisbeautiful photography and Brian Yates and his more unique paintings.  I loved the show.  After about 2 weeks of working the showwas coming down and the new one would be going up.  I was supposed to help when I could and work on the computerwhen they didn’t need help. However, this is not an opportunity that presents itself everyday so Iof course grabbed it.  Helping toput up a show in a well known Chicago gallery is not only an amazing learningexperience, a chance to meet all sorts of amazing people and will lookfantastic on a resume.  The curatorWynter Whiteside brought in a show called Sugarcraft.  Based on indulgence and carrying a theme of sugarthroughout, the show featured about 30 artists and over 300 pieces.  Wynter and I grew very close throughthe process of putting up the intricate show.  We were able to work very well together since we shared thesame eye for location of artwork for the layout of pedestals and for the showitself.  Working with Wynter hasprobably been my favorite part of the job.  She taught me about art and about shows and about curatingthings that I could never have learned anywhere else.  Not only was she great to work with she also became mymentor I contact her on a regular basis to talk about life and choices andanything else.  Putting up the showwas the highlight of my summer.  Igot to meet the artists I got to pick what went up and what didn’t I got to putthings on the walls frame art and organize everything.  We installed 75 Styrofoam cupcakes inthe show hanging from the ceiling. It took three times the amount of time we had planned for it to take butit was worth it and looks amazing. The show was featured in several magazines the press was alwaysinquiring and I organized that too. The published articles came out and I can say that I got to be part ofit.  I know the artists I know theworks I know the show. 

            WhatI also love about this job is that I realized how much work really goes intoit.  You don’t think of running agallery as hard but let me tell you it is!  There’s the inventory and the artists and the shows and theartists that want to be your artists and the clients who want this piece in asmaller size and a different color and you look at them and try to explain thatthis is not a retail shop that’s not how this works you either like or you don’t.  Then there are the artists that aresupposed to be emailing you jpegs for the upcoming exhibit but they aren’tdoing that because they’re climbing glaciers somewhere.  There’s also the press who has to benotified about the upcoming exhibits and they need images and the press releaseand the artist’s statement and a zillion other things and there are the mailinglists.  You have a million contactsthat all need to be notified of the new show so you send press packets and theyhave to be sent to the right person at the right time and then you have emailsan newsletters and taxes and invoices. The gallery is always hectic and there is rarely ever anyone in thegallery except the people working. Which makes me crazy.  Soalthough this job has been amazing and I have learned so much and met so manyamazing people that I will continue to stay in contact with I could never dothis.  I need interaction and Ineed co-workers.  So the secondmost amazing part of the job is that I have realized that it is not somethingthat I want to do when I grow up. I may want to do something similar but never is this what I want to mycareer to be.