My name is Laura Kovalsky, and I am a summer communications intern at the Gibbes Museum of Art. I am a rising senior at the University of Alabama, but I’m enjoying living and working in Charleston for the summer. At the Gibbes—aside from my daily responsibilities of organizing press clippings, updating information for the communications department, and attending meetings—one of the most unique things that I have been able to do is a form of grassroots marketing. The museum distributes rack cards, which are flyers describing the year’s exhibitions, to local art galleries for them to display to promote current and upcoming exhibitions. For the Gibbes, rack cards are an important communication tool because they are an easily accessible way for visitors to get information about the museum.
While walking around town to different galleries, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with gallery owners and view a wide variety of artwork. I learned about the art community in Charleston and the connection many artists feel to the beautiful landscape and the people of this city. Because I am new to the Charleston area, I enjoyed finding some of the more hidden galleries and going to places that I probably would not have known about otherwise. It was a unique way to tour the city through its art. During this process of spreading the word about the Gibbes, I was actually able to learn about local artists and the city.
Download the Gibbes College Internship application (PDF).
Published July 12, 2010