#loft beats

By the end of spring quarter, I had all but given up on my search and prepared for a summer of lounging around, playing League of Legends, and eating Korean BBQ with my buddies. But as July rolled around, a very good friend of mine told me about an art gallery in Pomona that needed interns, and I jumped at the chance to get some experience.

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I stepped into Loft Beats on a blazing hot July afternoon in a suit and tie. True to its name, Loft Beats was a gallery that was converted from one of the resident artist lofts in the Pomona Arts Colony. It was located up a flight of stairs through a discreet door between two other galleries, with tall ceilings and walls covered with paintings.

I started work as soon as the interview was over. Erns Valdez, the owner, took me around the block to formally meet the other gallery owners. I was able to walk through some of the most interesting galleries I’ve ever seen, with art that ranged from pretty graphite drawings to raw and massive paintings done by a diverse group of artists. Luckily, that night was an Art Walk, and I was able to experience the backstage workings of the event. He started me off with running errands, like picking up artwork and supplies, but then moved on to having me watch the gallery itself when he went off to take care of other matters around the art colony. Every Art Walk was different for me and I rarely had to do the same tasks again.

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Throughout the course of the summer, my boss gave me a wide variety of responsibilities that ranged from running errands and stage managing concerts to giving gallery tours, which became my favorite job. I'm the kind of art history major that will drag friends to museums and gives tours for the fun of it, and giving tours was perfect for me. The Downtown Pomona Owners Association recently bought a trolley to tour the various buildings and landmarks around downtown Pomona, and it became my job to lead trolley tours. It wasn't too difficult to learn what to say; I knew a majority of the locations and the head tour guide gave me a detailed tour himself. My first rides were a bit shaky because I was scared of giving the wrong information, but after a couple of rides, giving the tours became a lot easier and really fun. I got to meet many interesting people who shared my passion for art, and the best part was seeing the little kids with their parents asking me about college and art.

I also got the opportunity to stage manage a small concert at one of the art galleries in the colony. It was part of an opening of a new art show that month, and it drew out a nice crowd of hip hop enthusiasts. My job as stage manager was to make sure that the artists were able to get on stage on time, and exited the stage when their time was up. Stage managing a small concert like that wasn't too difficult, but when it comes to larger events, things can get really complicated. I helped out at a larger underground hip hop festival, and an experienced intern helped with the stage management. He had to juggle a lot more responsibilities than I did at that concert.

People always talk about how beneficial an internship is for your undergraduate career and I cannot stress how true this is. Finding the right internship opens so many doors for you, and even if you can't find a direct link to your next, the skills you learn from working hard at a job can help you land that future career.

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My internship at Loft Beats and the Pomona Arts Colony Association taught me so much about professionalism and working with artists. I represented the art gallery and as such, I had to learn how to act professionally. It's a broad term to say, but being professional is almost like having a persona. You have to carry yourself respectably, you have to mind your manners when talking to superiors, and you have to learn how to dress appropriately. It also extends to how to work with people. There are certain times when visitors can get a little too rowdy, or certain artists might not appreciate how something is run. Part of that professionalism is learning how to work with difficult people and being diplomatic in tough situations. It takes time to develop these skills, but working at an internship is a huge help.

Work was tough, I'll admit. I would stay at work until 11 or 12 p.m. most art walks to help out at the gallery, but when you're passionate about the work you do, it is completely worth it.

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To those of you looking for internships this year, don't do what I did and focus all of your time and energy on just landing one internship. Just like searching for your college, it's always good to keep an open mind when searching. Stretch your net far and wide so that you have a wide range of opportunities to choose from when the time comes.

But sometimes, the search might come up empty. Things happen and you might not be able to get an internship right away. If that happens, you might want to start putting your network to good use. Ask your friends within your major, ask professors, and ask faculty if they know anyone that's currently hiring interns. It never hurts to ask!

Happy hunting, fellow readers!