Hi! My name is Zoe, and I am an intern at the Columbia Art League this fall. Before this internship, most of my experience with art was on paper—making my own, reading about it, or viewing it as a gallery or museum visitor. Helping set up Interpretations VII at the Columbia Art League was eye-opening, even for someone who had grown up loving art and drawing all the time. The logic of arranging and presenting art hit me as something entirely different. At first, I was nervous about handling such fragile, beautiful pieces. The work was slow—measure, level, hang, take down, try again—but I started to see how each artwork and its paired writing influenced each other. Placement mattered. When we began to adjust height, spacing, and labels, the entire room suddenly felt different. I learned to pay attention to sightlines, traffic flow, and where people naturally pause in the gallery to read. Small adjustments like keeping a bold color away from a quieter piece, or giving a long poem more room to breathe, made the whole wall work better.
What I loved most about the show was the community it cultivated. Visitors of all ages—kids, students, parents, retirees—came in, made their own observations, and connected with the work. From behind the counter, watching those reactions was the most educational part: seeing which piece, poem, or nook pulled someone in.
Kelly Durante, Singularity.
In the far corner of the gallery—where pieces like Singularity hung—the atmosphere especially felt magnetic. Visitors often stopped there in their meander around the gallery, drawn in by the deep, rich purples and blues that tie the works in this section together. Acrylic, pencil, cold wax, pastels, and photography blended across the walls to create a cool, layered harmony that seemed to slow people down. I had a hand in arranging that corner, so it was especially rewarding to watch how viewers reacted—where they paused, what colors caught their eyes—and to take mental notes for what to do, or avoid, next time.
I’ve been at Mizzou for almost four years now, and I used to picture Columbia as just a college town. Helping set up Interpretations VII and being a part of the Columbia Art League changed that. I saw the hard work and care that goes into each piece. I saw people coming out to support their artist friends and family. I saw school groups of children really take the time to understand pieces of art. Being a part of this show, my first show, made me feel rooted in Columbia. It also reassured me that one day I would love to work in a gallery or museum, designing community-friendly spaces and using creativity to guide the experience.
