Work Experience – Transition into gallery life

Rebecca Hunter explains how being an intern at Cell Projects, an artist-run gallery and studio provider in East London, eased her transition from clueless Fine Art student to practising artist.

In my final year at Chelsea College of Art I couldnt imagine making art after graduation, so I decided to be proactive in learning about the art world. After phoning every gallery listed in Time Out magazine, I received a handful of positive responses.
The founders of Cell Projects, Richard Priestley and Milika Muritu, seemed to be most interested in me as a person, inviting me to their office rather than merely asking for a CV. Finding a placement where you feel welcome and comfortable is a key to getting the most out of your time. We discussed the typical commitment of three days per week for three months in an informal interview and looked at my strengths and previous experience doing PR for a small charity to see where my initial duties might lie.

Like most visual arts interns I was expected to work for free. The internship began at the end of my degree, with a student loan to keep me afloat. Making time for work experience while such provisions are still available is convenient; less structured art courses encourage this kind of professional development in college time. If the placement is full-time, reducing earning options, the benefits system is useful. Sonya, who interned in a photographic agency, was frustrated by benefits procedures  initially her application forms were lost  but found the combination of Job Seekers Allowance, Housing and Council Tax Benefits eased the financial pressure.

When times are hard for visual arts graduates a reward for working for free is access to resources and equipment. Having a PC with Photoshop, broadband and fax, as well as space to photograph my work, enabled me to enter a competition and create professional-looking publicity for a small exhibition. Completing low-key tasks  formatting images for the press, painting walls  prepared me for the details of organising a show of my own.

As quite a shy person, Ive envied cooler friends networking abilities, but working alongside a host of artists has dissolved my idea of the art world as a private members club. I met a range of individuals, happy to chat and advise. Observing the hard graft that goes into running a gallery and studios with minimal profits has erased my cynicism over money matters. Working for a small organisation is advantageous because it means closer involvement in the process. A high point was seeing my press release quoted in a preview about Cell.

Simple things like punctuality, efficiency and being flexible with hours, quickly build up trust. It is hard work for a busy gallerist to plan challenging tasks for interns, so to get the most from a work placement its important to get into a routine with basic jobs and then ask for more specific responsibility, such as designing a seminar or writing a funding proposal. Looking back, I could have agreed such goals sooner, so that progress could have been measured.

My confidence has soared through joining in the everyday life of a visual arts organisation run by generous people ready with constructive criticism. Ive survived the post college blues and know I have a place in the arts if I am prepared to work hard. If you are a visual arts student or recent graduate unsure of your next step, diving into an internship will equip you for continuing practice.

Rebecca Hunter is an artist living and working in London. She spent time as an intern with
Cell Projects.
w: http://www.cell.org.uk