This summer I was given the opportunity to intern at the Gibbes, where I was able to assist as an Art Summer Camp instructor. This fall I will be a senior art education major at the University of South Carolina – Columbia; After graduation, I plan to move back home to Summerville, where I will start my career as an art teacher.
I fell in love with art at a young age and pursued it throughout school, where I received a lot of positive feedback from peers, family, and teachers. It was the overwhelming support from my family as well as my art teachers that made me realize teaching art is what I was meant to be doing.
Middle school was such a rough transition period for me, but my art teacher helped me look forward to school and being in her class every day. When I think of the kind of teacher that I want to be, both she and my high school art teacher specifically come to mind. They made a huge impact on me.
During my experience, I often worked with students one on one, offering my ideas and assisting them when needed. I loved just being able to sit at the table with them, watching their creative visions come to life, as I offered my version of the projects they were working on. It was refreshing to see so many artistic opportunities made available to these little people with huge imaginations and creative minds! They seemed to enjoy the company and attention, as well!
I feel that being able to work with these different groups of young artists has helped me prepare for my career as an art educator. I’ve observed in both an elementary school and a high school but have never really been able to instruct them, or work with them, in the way I was able to this summer.
Not only did I have an amazing experience with the campers, but the teachers as well. Each teacher I had the chance to work with offered me helpful advice and encouraged me to add creative input, ideas, and contributions. I feel that this allowed me to start a development of my own teaching style and opened my eyes to elements I had never considered before.
I am so grateful for my time as an intern at the Gibbes and the opportunity that I was given to be a part of the summer camp. Not only was the summer camp experience itself amazing, but the museum staff as well; Everyone I met was so welcoming and wonderful to work with. I would not have wanted to spend my summer any other way and hope to participate again!
Top image: Campers in “Face Time” camp lined up and ready for the Friday art show!
Summer Camp internships were made possible by the generous support of the South Carolina Arts Commission.
Published August 2023