Hello! This is Bella the Intern, here again, to reflect on my experience at the Columbia Art League so far. Since starting here in January, I have learned many things about the logistics of running an arts non-profit but have also gained insight into the arts community of Columbia.
Last month, I helped to lay out my first show! Of course, it was the most difficult show to lay out with over 130 artworks: Tiny Things. I love this show because of how small each piece is and the lower pricing is also great for a college student like myself! It was quite the experience to try and figure out where everything should go. As viewers, we tend to disregard the aspect of setting up a show, but there is an enormous amount of thought and planning that goes into it. My supervisor, Kelsey, told me something that stuck with me: however we lay out a show, there needs to be a story told. We could just put pieces together that look nice, but it creates a much more enriching experience if there is a cohesive narrative to follow throughout the show. Prioritizing the story over the aesthetic is something I will always keep in mind throughout my career.
Some of the final Tiny Things layout!
Another thing I have noticed, perhaps more interesting to you dear readers, is the lively nature of the artist community in Columbia. I started school at Mizzou in the fall semester of 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic was in full swing, my social anxiety and worries for my health were at a new high, and I had no friends from high school following me to this new thing we called “college.”
With society at large retreating into its own little niches to hide until the pandemic was over, I was stuck by myself, feeling too young and socially awkward to look beyond my little dorm room and see what Columbia had to offer. Eventually, some lovely friends came into my life, and it wasn’t so lonely, but I still felt stuck in my college student bubble. I realized that I would need to break out of that in order to make Columbia feel like home.
Since working at the Columbia Art League, I have met more people than I did my entire freshman year, and what exciting conversations I have had! As an art history student, I rarely get to talk to the artists who make the pieces I study (unless someone out there has Van Gogh’s contact information), so the opportunity to talk to artists about their work and other work they appreciate has added a new dimension to how I view art.
A picture I got at the Nibble Reception. Lots of people!
There are many times when I feel too anxious to approach new people, and I can still feel like a fish out of water, but working here has made me feel like I am a part of this community, rather than another fleeting four-year transplant from St. Louis. When we lay out gallery shows, we attempt to weave a story with the artwork, adding our own narratives to pieces that already have so much human quality to them. I hope that the rest of my time at the Columbia Art League is spent just like that; weaving my own story into the vibrant community that this place cultivates.
