2022 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern Sophia Li – Final Report

Hi, this is Sophia Li, Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern. This is my last week of my internship and I want to thank Craft in America for allowing me to be part of this organization and participate in all the ongoing projects. I am also extremely grateful to the Getty Marrow Internship program for their passion to promote the next generation of art enthusiasts and art historians. I had a wonderful time at this internship, and I am looking forward to keeping up with Craft in America and the community of craft! I’ll be continuing at Otis College as a senior studying product design and contemporary clay. Thank you for following my time at Craft in America.

Photo: Madison Metro | Beautiful artwork: Tibbie Dunbar

2022 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern Sophia Li

It is already 7 weeks into my internship at Craft in America, time sure goes by fast. Although my internship is mostly remote and consists of digital projects, I am really glad to have experienced in-person tasks as well. 

My work includes some on-going projects like captioning our artist talks, which if you haven’t checked them out yet, you definitely should. My favorite video so far is Arline Fisch’s artist talk. Although I’ve watched the videos 10 times or even more, it’s still fascinating and her explanation of her work is so engaging. Arline Fisch works in metal but uses fiber techniques not traditional to metal. You really have to see the video for yourself. Other than working on the videos, I have also been assigned many graphic design projects like creating flyers for our current Craft in America Center exhibitions, Tibbie Dunbar: Assemble and Location Services: Jewelry Perspectives On Time & Place, and also formatting advertisements for our new upcoming PBS episodes. 

During the installation of Ferne Jacob’s show and installation of Tibbie Dunbar’s show, I was able to assist in-person at the Center. I learned about packing art pieces to help protect the artwork during transportation, wrapping the artwork multiple times, double boxing, and making sure every inch of the artwork is covered and secure. This is a skill not taught in art school to artists, although it really should be, because artists need to know how to protect and ship their work to ensure the longevity of the artworks. To install the show, we had to prepare the gallery which involved painting and cleaning the walls and all the pedestals. I helped Tibbie set up her show and got to see the exhibition assembled, and come to life which is something I’ve never experienced. I have to say it feels really good to be part of completing a show, helping out behind the scenes and knowing that I painted all the pedestals used in the show. 

Overall it has been great getting to work on and dabble in all the projects at Craft in America. We have a lot of projects going on so please continue to follow along!

Filming with Kazuki Takizawa for the Craft Video Dictionary

Hello, it’s Sophia here, the 2022 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern at Craft in America. Craft in America is working on creating a Craft Video Dictionary that will be released in 2023. Craft has had a long history, and therefore there are many techniques and terms used in each medium. The Craft Video Dictionary aims to build a centralized source for artists and art enthusiasts to learn about each craft technique, through video, in order to create a dictionary of informational content. 

I had a behind the scenes experience watching glass artist Kazuki Takizawa and his assistant Deshon Tyau’s creative process during the filming of this project… I must say, I now have the highest respect for glass artists seeing how labor intensive and technical the whole process is, and especially all while having to work in a really warm environment.

The Craft Video Dictionary is supported by the Decorative Arts Trust’ Prize for Excellence and Innovation. To learn more about the Trust or to become a member, visit The Decorative Arts Trust. Nominations are due 6/30/22.

Filming with Joan Takayama-Ogawa for the Craft Video Dictionary

Hello, it’s Sophia here, the 2022 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern at Craft in America. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be on-set for the Craft Video Dictionary filming with ceramic artist Joan Takayama-Ogawa, who just so happens to be my ceramics professor at Otis College. Joan demonstrated some of the ceramic handbuilding and decorating techniques she uses in her beautiful work, and it was amazing seeing an in-depth demonstration of her process. It was my first time visiting Joan’s home and studio in Pasadena, so it was especially awesome to see her at work in her creative space. 

The Craft Video Dictionary is supported by the Decorative Arts Trust’ Prize for Excellence and Innovation. To learn more about the Trust or to become a member, visit The Decorative Arts Trust. Nominations are due 6/30/22.

2022 Getty Marrow Intern — Sophia Li

We are pleased to introduce our 2022 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern, Sophia Li.

Sophia is a rising senior at Otis College of Art and Design, majoring in Product Design and minoring in Contemporary Clay. She spent the first half of her life in Beijing, China. Growing up, Sophia’s mom was obsessed with art, collecting antiques and taking her to museums. It is no wonder both she and her sister are interested in pursuing a career in the creative realm. Sophia had the privilege of taking art lessons from a young age, having her little canvas next to her mom’s full size canvas, oil painting in their home. Sophia’s current artwork incorporates her cultural influences along with nostalgic elements from her childhood and upbringing.

Having experienced the isolation of online school during the pandemic, Sophia began to value the significance of human interaction and connection, the irreplaceable mode of in-person learning, and the impact of her work environment. She felt like she missed out on the “taken for granted”, the “just a Saturday night”, and the “spontaneous boba hangouts”— the seemingly mundane moments. As a result, Sophia picked up the hobby of film photography. Film allowed her to document these moments precious to her life, imitating the photos she found in her parent’s photo albums. 

As the Getty Marrow Undergraduate intern at Craft in America, Sophia hopes to learn all about the behind the scenes of the organization, to learn about what part Craft in America plays in the art community, and how to connect people to artists— how to inspire and introduce community members to crafts. Craft in America’s mission is to increase the knowledge and understanding of handcrafted work, and Sophia hopes to play a part in this process of using digital media to inspire an appreciation of craft.

Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship Summer 2022

Craft in America is pleased to offer a Getty Marrow Undergraduate Digital Communications paid, full-time internship this summer 2022 thanks to a grant from the Getty Foundation.

This internship will be a hybrid remote and in-person position at the Craft in America Center for a total of 40 hours a week. Intern must be available for 10 continuous weeks between June 6 to August 26, 2022.

The Craft in America Digital Communications intern will provide support and assist in various aspects of digital media. Intern will assist with cataloging and captioning our digital video library, research for the Craft Video Dictionary, cataloging our Craft in America Center library, researching and writing artist biographies for the website.

Over the summer, the intern will participate in outreach with artists, outside organizations, collectors, local businesses, student groups, and art schools. In addition, the intern will be involved in research, writing, and editing web and social media content to support the organization’s programming, website, and PBS documentary series. The intern will be trained to use our website and Constant Contact and will have structured time to familiarize with Craft in America’s resources, artist database, and style guide. Familiarity and knowledge of Adobe Suite, Google Suite, WordPress is a plus. Intern will demonstrate interest or curiosity in craft processes and artists as well as film production even if they do not have prior experience.

Eligibility

Candidates must:

• Be of a group underrepresented in museums and visual arts organizations, including, but not limited to, individuals of African American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander descent;
• Be currently enrolled as full-time undergraduates (bachelor’s degree program or associate’s degree program). Students must have completed at least one semester or two quarters of college by June 2022. Students graduating in April to June 2022 are also eligible. (Students who are enrolled in a second BA or BS program are not eligible.)
• Reside or attend college in Los Angeles County; and
• Be a United States citizen or permanent resident (non-citizen authorized to live and work in the US on a permanent basis; also known as a “green card” holder.) Students with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) status valid through the internship period are eligible.

Candidates are not eligible if:

• They have previously served as a Getty MUI summer intern at Craft in America.
• They are Craft in America staff members and relatives of staff or board members.
• They have received a prior BA, BS, or higher degree.
• They are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program.

To Apply:

Please submit the following to apply@craftinamerica.org with the subject heading “Internship 2022”:

• résumé
• description of how you meet the requirements for the position
• two letters of recommendation or contact information (phone/email) for two references (teacher, professor, former employer, etc.)

Deadline for applications: April 22, 2022.

For more information about the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship program, visit www.getty.edu/foundation/initiatives/current/mui/mui_students.html

Getty Marrow Intern – Sharde’ Alexander

Today marks the final day of my internship at Craft in America and I can gratefully say that I have been introduced to a multitude of opportunities that have advanced my skills as both a digital media technician and an artist. During my 10 weeks I received the opportunity to work with several members of the Craft in America team to help build and add to the Craft website. With their guidance, I have since completed 24 artists profiles, edited the captions of 6 YouTube videos, input tags for a future episode, and added profiles for the artwork exhibited at Craft, along with various other projects I have assisted with.

Through my trainings I have learned that running a non-profit such as Craft in America comes with an immense responsibility and that there is a great importance of a team. Observing each team member of Craft, the responsibilities they are in charge of, and the projects they are working on has let me know that there are many components to the success of an organization and that each member plays an important attribute. As someone who wants to create her own production company in the future, witnessing these elements, I believe, are a crucial factor that will help guide me to achieve and develop a stable foundation for my future organization.

Along with my tasks, I was also exposed to an array of incredible crafters from around the country who have inspired me to adopt some of their techniques into my own art practice. Interested in the craft of basket and tapestry weaving, beading, and glass making, learning about crafters such as Mary Jackson, Consuelo Jimenez-Underwood, and Ehren Tool has motivated me to experiment with new materials. In the process of my new work, I have created my very first tapestry and am currently working on my second, and in the future, I hope to take basket weaving and glass making classes.

As my internship comes to a close, I want to thank the Craft in America team for granting me the opportunity to assist in the development of Craft, having patience with me as I learn and for exposing me to the behind the scenes of running an organization. I am extremely grateful for the knowledge I have gained and I cannot wait to utilize these experiences in my future practices.

– Shardé N. Alexander

Getty Marrow Intern – Sharde’ Alexander

Today marks the halfway point of my internship (5 weeks), and I can say that I have been learning the ropes with ease. The Craft in America team has been tackling quite a few projects currently, and I have had the opportunity to sit in on conversations and learn about what everyone has been working on. 

As of now, I am being introduced to the processes of creating a well-functioning server and am receiving training that will allow me to contribute to making the server easier to navigate for those who access it.

My favorite project I have been tackling currently are the artist profiles for the Craft in America website. I have the opportunity to do research each week on a few artists (about 2-5 per week), and with the information I find, I create thorough descriptions of the artists and post them on our website along with a few images that display their work. This opportunity has been an eye opener and has largely influenced how I have been approaching my own art practice. Though I mainly do video work and paint, I have been increasingly motivated to try my hand at tapestry weaving and basket making when researching other artists, and have slowly been incorporating these practices into my daily life.

Lastly, some small and somewhat exciting adventures I have had are the location scouting tasks I have been doing for my mentor. Currently I have “visited” small cities in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and recently Alaska. Calling coffee shops has weirdly been the most interesting thing, but somewhat heartwarming because of the friendliness of the people working there.

Overall, the past 5 weeks have been filled with knowledge, fun, and a bit of adventure. I am getting to know every individual in the Craft in America organization and it has been a great experience to be a part of this team and to then come together to create a great resource for the world to access and learn from.

– Shardé N. Alexander

Getty Marrow Intern – Sharde’ Alexander

Hello everyone, my name is Shardé N. Alexander, I am Craft in America’s Getty Marrow Digital Media Intern for Summer 2020. I am a recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles where I majored in Art, with a concentration in Painting and New Genres, and minored in Film. Since graduating, I am now devoted to building my skills and gaining knowledge in the fields of art, production, and creative directing in hopes of opening my own production company. 

As a frequent crafter, when I received the news that I would be working with the Craft in America team I was excited to immerse myself in a space where I would be introduced to the array of craft artists around North America. As of today, I have completed my first week of interning and can happily say that I have already learned so much about how this nonprofit organization operates and what it stands for. By providing accessible information to the public through thorough research and documentation, I have learned that Craft in America shows an appreciation for an often-overlooked community of hardworking craft artists and makers with inspiring stories. 

With the broad range of artists that I am observing daily, I am not only advancing my skills in digital media, additionally, I am developing stronger interests in the concept of craft with a focus in basket weaving and embroidery. Strenuous, yet highly rewarding skills, these two styles are heavily rooted into my own culture of Gullah and I am excited to experiment and incorporate these practices into my own artwork. 

In this one week alone, with the help of a great team of people, I have already learned some of the many responsibilities that it takes to operate the digital side of Craft in America and am excited for what has yet to come. 

– Shardé N. Alexander 

Summer 2020 Digital Media Internship at Craft in America

Summer 2020 Digital Media Internship at Craft in America

Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Internship

This summer, the Craft in America Digital Media intern will provide support and assist in various aspects of digital media. Currently, Craft in America has a digital library of over 700 videos and 10,000 images. The intern will assist in cataloging and organizing our digital library to house on a Network Storage System server. The intern will also assist with editing and correcting video caption files. The intern will assist the Associate Producer with image/video research for the PBS documentary series and gain exposure to aspects of obtaining rights and reproductions. The intern will assist with special edits (process based videos and interview videos) specifically for social media.  S/he will have structured time to familiarize with Craft in America’s web resources, artist database, and style guide. Over the summer, the intern will participate in outreach with outside organizations, collectors, local businesses, student groups, and art schools and will be trained on Constant Contact. In addition, the intern will be involved in research, writing, and editing web and social media content to support the organization’s programming, website, and PBS documentary series under the supervision of the Associate Producer. S/he will be trained to use our CMS (Content Management System) website. In addition, the intern will be involved in research, writing, designing, and editing web and social media content to support the organization’s programming, website, and PBS documentary series through work with Craft in America’s production team.

Craft in America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration, preservation and celebration of the handmade and its impact on our nation’s cultural heritage. Craft in America’s projects include the Peabody Award-winning documentary series on PBS nationwide and the free-to-the-public Craft in America Center in Los Angeles. With twenty-three episodes produced since 2007, Craft in America takes viewers on a journey to the artists, origins and techniques of American craft. Each episode contains stories from diverse regions and cultures, blending history with living practice and exploring issues of identity, ritual, philosophy and creative expression.

Eligibility

Students must:

• Be of a group underrepresented in museums and visual arts organizations, including, but not limited to, individuals of African American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander descent;

• Be currently enrolled undergraduates. Students must have complete at least one semester or two quarters of college by June 2020. Students graduating in May or June 2020 are also eligible. (Students who are enrolled in a second BA or BS program are not eligible.)

• Reside or attend college in Los Angeles County; and

• Be a United States citizen or permanent resident.

The internships are full-time (40 hours/week) positions, each with a stipend of $6,000, for a consecutive ten-week work period between June and August, 2020.

Submit resume (if possible), two letters of recommendation or contact information (phone/email) for two references (teacher, professor, former employer, etc.), and a description of how you meet the requirements for the position.

Deadline: May 8, 2020