STEP Studio Artist Internship Reflection

During the first two weeks of June, I worked as an intern and assistant under studio artist Mrs. Sarah Fairchild predominantly in Long Island City, New York.  During the week, I would arrive at her studio and assist her in her commissions with duties including screen printing, heat-pressing, and various other detailing for her to install into her paintings and collages.  During my off-time and free time in the studio, I was instructed to visit museums/art scenes and also pursue my own project. Working under Fairchild’s wing was transformational in my being fully immersed into the studio artist life at one of the most prevalent centers of the art world.

While I went into the project with certain assumptions regarding the difficulties included in the package of being a full-time studio artist, I will admit that I learned that the lifestyle can be more daunting than I had anticipated.  Many of the studio artists within the shared studio space of Fairchild’s floor have full-time jobs to support their lifestyles, only being able to come into the studio on weekends. Fairchild was one of the only artists that I met that were self-sufficient.  However, upon meeting several studio artists during my stay in New York, I discovered their underlying passion shine through –driving them to pursue art in whatever ways that they can. I learned how to screen print, burn my own screens, and combine different mediums into my screen print pieces.  I also discovered that while the work could be tedious as I expected, I genuinely loved every moment of my time working alongside my mentor. I developed a new sense of confidence and motivation regarding my own abilities and passions. Ultimately, the trip in its entirety was inspiring and I believe having been a mentee under Fairchild will give me an upper hand for any artistic journey I pursue in the future.

My interactions and relationship with Fairchild were by far the most valuable asset in my transformational experience.  Not only did she guide me artistically with teaching me about screen printing techniques and taking me around the city as I helped her gather materials, but she also was kind enough to provide me with life advice.  Throughout my third year at Ohio State, I constantly had an on and off “existential crisis” where I would episodically be concerned about my future life for after I graduated. The conversations we had helped boost my confidence and allow me to be braver with my life decisions.  She was generous in her telling me that I have room to grow and time to be daring.

There was also an air to Fairchild that was incredibly calming.  She was gentle with her instructions and never cared for when I made mistakes.  The uniqueness of my mistakes, she stated, would make her work look more interesting.  Her openness to allowing the artist’s mark-making shine through her pieces really emphasized to me that she cared more for the beauty in the details and process than the appearance of perfection. 

Regarding some of the daunting aspects of her career, working inside Fairchild’s studio with her also made me reflect on the kind of work environment I would be placing myself into should I pursue a life in studio artistry.  For the most part, she works alone during the day –a drastic change from when she worked as an art teacher in a high school with several hundred students shuffling through her classroom each day. While she is comfortable and content with sitting alone throughout most of the week, it was an aspect I had never really considered before.  Additionally, the work that Fairchild makes inside her studio requires a lot of physical labor in moving parts and utilizing heavy machinery. It was never mentally taxing, but the work was definitely physically strenuous. While not a deterrent in my pursuit for an art career, these were definitely elements I had not yet considered before my internship.

Finally, I was also moved by my interactions with the other studio artists I met on my trip.  I was always fearful of the idea of becoming a “starving artist” as they say, but I am pleased that I was proven wrong.  It was inspiring to see how many of their day jobs interweaved with their practice. The phrase’s connotation is so twisted –all the artists that I encountered had the means to provide for themselves to allow for art in their lives.  I discovered that it was not so much that these artists would starve because they were an artist, but rather, that they would be willing to starve in order to create their artworks.  

As I have mentioned before, I know that I will be pursuing art in my future, post-undergrad, whether it is like the studio artist lifestyle I experienced this summer or other art-related endeavors.  Being able to go to New York and work under Fairchild felt as if I was able to bring everything I had learned thus far in my painting and drawing curriculum into the field first hand, for the first time.  While I was slightly worried the experience would deter me from the lifestyle, the internship only solidified my desire to pursue an artistic career path and follow my passions whether it be teaching art, having my own studio practice, or creating comics/illustrations.  Though I still have at least another full two semesters at Ohio State, it was rewarding to be able to taste the real world implications of what it means to be an active artist –and a self-sufficient one at that. I am looking forward to seeing how I grow these upcoming semesters knowing that I am even more energized and passionate about creating and bringing my work to life.

Top picture is a picture of myself with my mentor, studio artist Sarah Fairchild.

Below is a picture of one of my personal prints that I gifted to her at the end of the internship.