My name is Nicole and I am a sophomore Communication Studies major with a minor in Graphic Design. This semester I had the opportunity to intern with Annie Wharton, an art consultant and gallery curator, for both of her ventures in Downtown Los Angeles. The first is Annie Wharton Art Consulting, a fine art advisory firm that assists clients in finding and collecting artworks. The second is LADIES’ ROOM, a small art gallery located in LA’s Fashion District that is dedicated to exhibiting the works of women artists.

An exhibition at LADIES’ ROOM

The majority of my work was to create artist presentations showcasing their work to potential clients or for including in press releases regarding the gallery’s exhibitions. Although it is a fairly simple task on the surface, it is necessary to recognize the importance of visual aids in both informing and persuading clients as taught in Public Speaking. If the visual aids presenting an artist’s work are not well done, the firm will be seen as less professional and consequently, receive fewer buyers. It is also necessary to keep the format uniform in order to establish a consistent brand identity that will resonate with clients. As I have learned in various classes, it is important to adapt your message to your target audience. By creating and utilizing a strong brand identity, it makes the firm more memorable and builds trust with clients.

One of my other tasks was to make edits to both the LADIES’ ROOM and Annie Wharton Art Consulting websites. Similar to the artist presentations, it is essential for a firm’s website to be user-friendly and easy to navigate in order to clearly communicate the service being provided as well as to keep potential clients engaged.

Past exhibition at LADIES’ ROOM

Throughout my internship experience, I realized that although the work I was doing was made to target clients, I was also working to satisfy the vision of my internship supervisor. In order to do this, I had to maintain a constant flow of communication with my supervisor. I am grateful for the experience I gained by utilizing and applying the information I have learned both as a Communication Studies student and a graphic designer during this internship. I was able to practice working with clients and was given enough space to experiment with design elements within my supervisor’s broader requirements. Although I am not looking to go into the art world after this experience, I believe that I will be able to take what I have learned and apply it to the next internship or workplace position I take.