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