Two Birds

One itty-bitty stone

After missing another day of blogging I have some catching up to do. So two birds (days) and only one stone (entry).

Both Wednesday and today were days of non-stop projects. Many of our recent projects are time commitments and high priority.  Megan and I have been pushing the pedal to the metal, in hopes of completing the assignments with fliying colors, and within the given time frame.

Ellie, HMA's Marketing Specialist, handed us a new project concerning a promotional idea that will tie in local southern restaurants and the High's current "Picturing the South" exhibit. As the intern, my job was to contact each of the listed restaurants and talk to the manager. I essentially had to sell them the idea of partnering with the High for the up-coming promotional campaign. This project has been drawn out over the past two days and will surely continue on to Friday, if not the beginning of next week. I never realized how many up-scale Southern restaurants are located in Atlanta. One thing I did realize was how amazing their food looked. Southern food, being my all time comfort food, was not what my eyes nor stomache wanted to see before my PB&J lunch. Torture.

I also have been busy with updating the clip books, but more importantly assembling the top clips for our clients. For example, a top priority client at the moment is Talladega College's Hale Woodruff Murals (Rising Up). We are currently the first museum on the  murals travel, and the college would appreciate a PDF of all the top hits their murals have received while being displayed at the High. Something that sounds as easy as "1,2,3, scan" can never go as planned. Finally, Megan and I were able to complete the Talladega presentation, as well as a presentation for the exhibit Modern by Design.

As interns we have been fairly busy and on our toes this week with incoming projects. If we are busy, surely our full-time team is constantly researching, developing and executing projects, as well. To help ease tension and stress during communication meetings, our team ends the discussion by asking a simple question that everyone must answer. The question this week was:

What is your favorite game show?

There were answers such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, The Dating Game, Family Fued, Supermarket Sweep, and Wipeout. My personal answers were flops, because the two shows I mentioned were greeted with puzzling eyes! My first answer was Lingo, a word based game similar to the dice game Boggle. By the way, my cousin Maria and I would kick anyone's butt at Lingo. We should have been on that show! I thought it was a fairly well-known show on GSN, but apparently I was mistaken. Then to make up for that fail of an answer I decided on picking a 70's game show. I assumed that my older teammates would recall this show, because anytime I mention it around my own friends they look at me like I am crazy. Turns out, that the "you're crazy" reaction is not strictly a Millenium resonse. It is also a Gen X response, as well. My second answer was Card Sharks. Come on! How has no one heard of this game. People obviously hadn't because I still received baffled looks However, it was nice to have off-the-record conversation with my team. It lets everyone relax and get to know each other a little better.

This week has been interesting. The days have passed quickly, but the week itself is strolling on. I am incredibly ready for the weekend in order to catch up on some rest, family time, and good memories in Athens. But until then I have to make it through tomorrow (and a Braves game). Go Bravos!

Avril Lavigne Kind of Day

SK8ER GIRL

There is nothing quite like a work day where very little desk work takes place. Today was surely one of those days. From field trips, lunches out, and a scavenger hunt in the museum who says work can't be fun?

The beginning of the day was like all the rest -research. Once 11:30 rolled around it was goodbye Frida & Diego and hello skateboards. Wait, what? Yup. Megan and I joined two other team members for a little field trip across Peachtree Street to MODA (Museum of Design Atlanta) to view their Hang It or Skate It  skateboard exhibit. Despite growing up across from a skateboard park (shout out to Woody's Ramp and Rails), I have never shown an interest in this hobby, but this exhibit highlighted something besides the act of skateboarding. The concept behind the exhibit was that skateboards are nothing more than art...on wheels. One of the earliest skateboards in the exhibit was from the 70s and it showed how graphics and styles have changed over the decades. The front of the exhibit had an explanation of the concept:

Because skateboards can have such intricate designs,

boarders want to show them off by doing cool tricks.

It only takes a few heel kicks, nose dips, and blow outs

until the artwork has been scratched up and ruined.

So the big question is: Hang It or Skate It?

          

  


"Someone once told me: You are only young once, but you're immature forever. I took it as a compliment."

  

MODA was a great 'field trip' and gave Megan and I a chance to hang out with our team members outside of the High's white walls. We ended the field trip with a trip to Vespucci's for an Italian lunch. Even though we only had an hour together, we learned so much about our team members. They talked about their career life and how they got where they ended up at the High. They even shed some light on job searching and gave some worthy advice. This lunch really was a time for us to hang out and bond over similarities and to grow stronger within our differences.

After lunch Megan and I got to end our day walking through the new exhibits at the High (Picturing New York and Picturing the South). We were doing more than simply admiring the works and photographs, we actually had an assignment to complete. In the beginning of August, the High will be hosting a Tweet Up for High visitors to partake in. The Tweet Up is essentially a scavenger hunt through the exhibits where patrons participate through Twitter and receive prizes for accomplishing each scavenger search. Megan and I had the job of developing the scavenger concepts. We came up with great material and even had the chance to enjoy the photographs. The photos are beautiful and capture each "you guys" and "yalls" perfectly.

As sad as it might sound, that is all my Tuesday consisted of. I definitely cannot complain about the unique tasks of my days here at the High. After completing my mid-term evaluation for GCSU, I realized that I have had amazing opportunities and learning experiences here at the High. To think there is still one more month of this!

Frida & Diego

Research: 9 to 5

I did nothing more today than research the infamous Mexican couple Frida and Diego. I have mentioned this research project at the beginning of my blogging adventure. This particular project is an on going assignment through the summer. However, for some reason I was sucked into their artistic and politically tyrant world for eight hours straight -and there was no complaining on my behalf. I sat in on lectures at the High concerning the Frida and Diego, but now I have moved onto solitary research. My personal hype over Diego, and especially Frida, has only begun.

Using over 30 sources, I have learned an incredible amount of information on the private and public lives of the star couple. For both artists to be so incredibly outspoken with their political views, it’s a wonder how they found time to paint. I suppose their answer was to combine the two worlds: art and politics. Frida, in particular, has caught my attention. In the 90s Frida became the revolutionary icon for feminism. Obviously. This woman had a thriving life after being diagnosed with polio at age six, being involved in a life-threatening car wreck which should have ended her life, along with many doubts toward her artistic ability. Finally, Friday was able to step outside of Diego's 300 pound shadow and find a light of her own. She has painted around 145 works, with over one third resulting in self portraits. With roughly 40 surgeries throughout her life, Frida was the person she knew best and she decided to use herself as a muse. From her iconic unibrow and dark mustache, Frida was able to portray a side a beauty that embodied the concept of individuality at its finest. Frida, you were one amazing woman.

Even though my Monday consisted of non-stop research, my day flew. It's nice to have something as engaging as Frida and Diego to make an eight hour work day seem like a play date. I actually ended my evening with a play date! I met a sorority sister, Hilary, for coffee to discuss our plans for the future. There is nothing like catching up with a best friend and discussing our future, especially when they plan to coincide.

Here's to a great Monday and hopes to an eventful Tuesday.

Free Friday

Awesome Weekend

WOW. My weekend was amazing and everything but ordinary. I have been on the go since Friday at 8 a.m. and haven't stopped until....well, right now.

Everything started with a private tour of the American art collection at the High. After previously touring the museum, I had already seen the American art exhibit. However, I had never listened to it. Having the chance to have a private tour truly does open your eyes to the talent and beauty of the art work. Like I have said in previous posts, being given the background of the art enhances its true beauty one hundred percent. Seeing how the curators grouped works and displayed then 'salon style' was interesting. I love the salon style of similar works, because it helps tie the entire message and theme together. We only had enough time to be given a tour of the 18th - early 19th century, but I learned lots. Many of the art works had gone through transformations from the European style painting to a more patriotic/landscape/rustic/country vibe. At this time there were also many portraits executed. I normally just saw a portrait for what it was: a painting. Throughout the tour I realized how talented these artists were, and the time and patience it took for them to simply paint a bust, nonetheless a full pose plus background. America, you are fascinating now as you were then.

After the exhibit, all interns were catered Vespucci's pizza because we had a Luunch and Learn with the museum's director Michael Shapiro. Sadly, Shapiro was caught with a time conflict, and had to reschedule. The High didn't leave us in the dark; however, and arranged for us to meet Shapiro's great friend and colleague Philip Verre, COO, High Museum of Art. Philip was a great substitute and blew us away with his awesome job as COO. He has traveled to numerous countries in search of art collections to display at the High. Along the way he has made great connections, met wonderful people and has had the experiences of a lifetime.

My Friday ended with a great night at the Georgia Aquarium for a monthly event, Science on Tap. Morgan and I attended the event and enjoyed wine and a lecture by Joel Kostka, a microbiologist researcher and Georgia Tech professor. It was a great way to unwind, be educated and enjoy a different atmosphere.

Friday night gradually evolved into Saturday which meant the original bat mobile (shown at the Mall of Georiga) and the Atlanta Beer Fest. To me, the bat mobile means nothing, but to the four boys I was with --it meant the world. Apparently it meant the world to all the other present googley-eyeres and drooly-droolers, too. The bat mobile was the start of my 'bro day' with the boys. This lead to the most amazing time at the Atlanta Beer Festival at the Masquerade in downtown Atlanta

First off, the Masquerade is a run-down building from the outside and should possibly be avoided at all cost. However, behind its facade is where all the magic happens. Walking in there are food trucks, some vendors, bands and of course BEER. Taps and taps of beer to be correct. Seen as a beer tasting event, you could positively find a new (if not 5) favorite beer. Here are some of the beers I tasted, just to name a few:

Fox Barrel Pale Ale
Fox Barrel Apple Cider

Fox Barrel Blackberries Pear

Magic Hat Circus Boy
Laughing Skull
Koppaberg Pear
Koppaberg Pale Ale
plus a few more here and there where the names were lost....

The beer festival was a great day/night out with friends to enjoy the great (hot) weather, bands, beer and socializing. Running into old friends and making new ones was the theme of the night. Our whole group had a great time, and I am glad the boys let me tag along this time around. Maybe if I am lucky I will get to attend the Winter Beer Festival with them. Here are only a few pictures from the event.

To finish off the weekend, I attended the Georgia Bridal Show at the Gwinnet Center. No one in our group was getting married, but the expo didn't need to know that. Six signatures, seven emails, four swag bags and 12 brochures later, the 'bride', 'maid of honor' and 'mother of the bride' were exhausted. We did enjoyed the free samples of cake and flowers that were available at the show, along with the other vendor's goodies. The exposition ended with a greatly entertaining fashion show to exhibit David's Bridal and Men's Warehouse's attire for any wedding style. The fashion show was an hour of music, dancing, laughing, and gorgeous gowns and tuxes. The show was definitely a great ending to the bridal show, and was a great time for the three of us girls to enjoy a day out.

Now the work week starts up tomorrow, and this is when I wish the weekend was one extra day long. Curse you fun weekends for spoiling me.

Need caffeine....

Need caffeine now

One day early and Megan and I completed part one of our festival research project. We gathered roughly 75 summer festivals (June-September) in Georgia, plus 10 or so in neighboring "drive cities" (Knoxville, Chatanooga, Birmingham, Greenville). It feels wonderful to complete a project, especially when it is ready before schedule! I also found a last minute festival worthy of attending: Woodstock Art & Wine Festival .

Today was a tough day. Everything was fine during the drive to work and clocking in, and then....the cubicle. Once I sat down in my comfy chair, my cubicle was beckoning me to sleep behind his protective walls. After about an hour and a half of sleep deprivation, I succumbed to walking to Starbucks for a $5 coffee. That iced skinny caramel machiato was 100% worth it! After a few sips, my research was easier, more interesting, and lead to productive findings. Oh, the wonders of caffeine. Not exactly great for you, but lord knows it will kick your butt until you are awake! Apparently I am not the only person whose butt needs coffee during the first half of the workday. There was 15 other people with the same caffeine withdrawal, and they all happened to have made it inside the Starbucks' door a second before meI. It took a whopping 30 minutes to get to Starbucks, pay five dollars, and get back to my desk. Regardless of the hassle, I was so happy to have my coffee!

Once the caffeine set in, it was lunch time before I even knew it. Today Megan and I ventured out to Colony Square. I had the ever-loved bimbimbop at Jaffa Cafe. The bimbimbop is a plate of brown rice, chicken or tofu, eggs, cucumbers, sprouts, lettuce, and your choice of spicy or tzatziki sauce. Mix everything like a salad and you have a delicious lunch which is a special meal served only three times a week. Note: if a restaurant serves a particular dish only a few days out of the week --get it! Note: if everyone else in line, on those specified days, orders the bimbimbop --get it! It was a delicious treat for the week.

With only a few hours left in the day, I started back on the media clips and began to digitally log them. The pile gets smaller and smaller everyday, and it is nice to see how many times the High is mentioned in various publications and medias outlets! I had a stack of 20 AJC newspapers to look through and that was a project in-and-of itself. All the articles are not clearly marked (i.e. picture of a featured artist/work, have the High mentioned in the title), and can be as simple as a two liner about "what to do this week" along with 20 other suggestions. My hands were black from handling those newspaper, but thankfully I had anti-bacterial at my desk. And for that, I am sorry to everyone who sits near me. I apologize for the smell of concentrated alcohol you smelt every 5 minutes.

Tomorrow and this weekend should be a fun and interesting time! A little heads up: Michael Shapiro (the High's director), fishies, beer, friends and more beer. Weeeee.

Humpday

Festival Throwdown

1st floor, baby. Of the parking garage that is. I suppose the parking gods heard my complaining yesterday and sent me an IOU. I got a parking spot on the first floor of the parking garage, so there was no need for a daily reminder this time. Thank you parking gods. I owe you one next time.

Another cubicle-endearing day was today. I sat in my cubicle for eight straight hours staring at the screen. That can't be healthy. I ended up eating lunch at my desk so I could simply look at crafts on Pinterest for an hour. I'm a girl...it's fine. I am actually not one for Pinterest. I have an account, of course, but I have never spent more than 5 hours on the site total. Since I am using this social media outlet for the museum, I decided to wonder through some craft ideas. Let me tell you how many crafts I saw that I wanted to do right then and there at my cubicle -TOO MANY! I love crafting in the first place. I especially like refurnishing tables, shelves, bookcases and other crafts that require some elbow grease. Because I will be looking for somewhere to live in the near future, what better place to get ideas than Pinterest?

Speaking of Pinterest....what a great segue to mention my completed Pinterest project. Check out the High's Pinterest page and see the two new boards I added! I was going to push this projet until later in the week, but I decided I might as well make myself useful if I was going to be on Pinterest already. So yay for completing another project!

I am also wrapping up my research project on festivals in Georgia and nearby "drive cities." I stated in a previous post I would mention any cool festivals coming up, so here it is as promised:

• June 23 Atlanta Summer Beer Fest
• June 30 The Revival of Vintage
• July 14 Atlanta Street Food Festival
• July 19 -22 Atlanta Summer Arts Festival
• Sept 21 -22 Music Midtown

Check out all of these festivals and think of stopping by. I am sure they all will be a great time. I am personally going to the first two for sure! I am so excited and I will more than likely head out to the other events as well. It's the summertime (as today was the summer solstice) and we need to be outside enjoying the sunshine! There is no better way than with some handmade jewelry, a candy apple and your sunglasses on.

To end my day I received great news that one of my sorority sisters, Sararose, was offered a teaching job in Macon. I ended the night by celebrating with her and her family. I am so excited for her and the new changes this will bring. She is going to be a special education teacher and I know she will excel at it, without a doubt. Love you SR and congrats!

Tour de Parking Garage

Marco. Polo.

After work all I wanted to do was plug in my phone and jam to Pandora during my rush-hour ride home. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. The parking garage decided to hide my car for a solid 10 minutes and laughed as I walked all five floors without luck of finding my car. After the humiliation of all my co-workers seeing mey on every floor as they head to the exit, I finally found my car on the fourth level --which was the original floor I started searching, might I add. That parking garage has it in for me, I swear. That is surely not the first time I have felt like a lost child in Disney World. Only this time there are no fun rides to distract me nor keep me entertained. Finally finding my car was a humiliating relief. I simply sat in the driver's seat getting everything set: phone charging, Pandora station playing, my parking ticket in hand, credit card ready to be charged. As I got to the top floor I was in line with 10 other cars waiting to leave work. Once I got to the gate, the girl working and I had a giggle over the stupidity a long work day brings upon others. Silly people, the gate arm doesn't rise willingly. It's called monayyy.

To accompany this long afternoon, I had an equally long morning. The American Red Cross was visiting HMA and offered appointment times to employees. I signed up to give blood and was actually very excited. I haven't given blood in a while, and now was my chance to A.) do a good deed and B. ) get away from my cubicle for an hour. In the past I have had problems with my iron levels, and have been turned away numerous times for being anemic. To offset this common occurrence I woke up an hour early and treated myself to an IHOP breakfast. After ordering I was stoked to give blood. Who wouldn't be excited to have an excuse to eat a delicious breakfast of pancakes topped with bananas, bacon, scrambled eggs and chocolate milk?

Breakfast was absolutely amazing and helped me stay focused during my work day (I guess those mini-wheats are speaking the truth). After lunch I headed to Hill Auditorium to do my good deed of the day. That was another wild goose chase. I honestly do not know the lay of the land at the Woodruff Arts Center. That being said, I walked around for 15 minutes attempting to find the American Red Cross. I eventually found the room and was able to successfully give blood. Yay for saving the lives of nine babies! I will say I was getting nervous while waiting, though. Right as I arrived three ladies had previously passed out/were feeling flushed from giving blood. Some claim the cause was the slightly warm room and the lack of breakfast the ladies had eaten. Regardless, I was starting to psyche myself out. I held it together and pumped that little stress ball like my life depended on it. After an hour of waiting, freaking out, and filling up one bag of blood I was a proud blood donor. Now I know that "I make a difference."

After giving blood, I entered the office just in time for a communication meeting. Our department met and discussed potential ads and marketing concepts offered by a highly revered ATL/NYC ad agency. This was the same agency our department met with earlier this summer to discuss the idea of the High's newest campaign. It was cool to see the proposed advertisements that had been influenced by our inputs and ideas. Even though we were presented these ads, they are by no means the final draft. There are still things to be edited, deleted and ideas that have room to grow.The ads are going to be great and the marketing placements and concepts will hopefully catch the eyes of those interested in seeing the High's soon-to-be exhibit. Sitting in on these meetings helps me feel like a true component to my team. I have a chance to be face-to-face with each member and to make suggestions and comments that will respectfully be considered and heard.

Everyday I work my way up an incline of how great my internship is. There are no drastic dips or hills, rather everything is consistently improving. The one thing that isn't? That daggum parking garage. From now on I am going to have to leave myself a note on my phone as a reminder. How embarrassing. I am already losing my memory at the young age of 22. Oy vey.

Project Overload

Time Pressing Day

It's the start of my third week and things were off to a decent start --as decent of a start any Monday can be. It obviously couldn't be too bad of a day because I listened to my Bossy CD on the way to work. Hollerrrrr. But seriously, the day ended up being a great day. A long day. But a great day.

The first half of my morning consisted of researching the Frida & Diego exhibit and facts about the two artists, as a couple and individuals. I am making a PowerPoint on these two famous Mexican artists, and I am currently on slide 100. Yea, there are lots to say about these two revolutionary painters. I have been enjoying the research, however. Seeing how these individuals' lives influenced their paintings, and vice-versa is remarkable. After concentrating on Frida Kahlo I discovered her famous house, La Casa Azul, in Mexico City. I would really like to visit this little house, which is now a museum commemorating Frida and Diego's life together. One particular site I found stated that there are clothes, easels, paintings, everyday materials and scenes to where you feel as if the couple recently left the house to run errands. It sounds like a sight to see.
 

It was not until after lunch that all the projects started to flow. The due date for the general hit list of the Museum of Modern Art partnership has been moved up to tomorrow and I have to be sure that all articles are accounted for digitally and physically. That part is surely under control and now the task is in another department's hands. Phew. However, directly after the MoMA general hit list, a member of our team approached me with new fliers for a film showing in July. I had to create labels and send the direct mailing packets out by mid-afternoon. This task is not a feat by any means, unless your Word document doesn't want to line up with the sticker sheet. Then there is a problem, and boy was it a frustrating one. After five attempts, I finally ended up with 70 direct mailing packets, ready to be sent via snail mail.


Halfway through labeling the above direct mailing packets, I was asked to create two new boards for the High's Pinterest page. Thankfully this project is not a time pressing matter and can be pushed to the end of the week, possibly the beginning of next. I do enjoy utilizing the newest social media platform, Pinterest. Discovering ways to have Pinterest benefit a museum isn't the easiest and it definitely requires a sense of creativity and individuality. Keep an eye out for HMA's newest Pinterest boards later on this week. Don't worry, I won't let you forget.

The reason for pushing back the Pinterest project is because Megan and I were asked to research (research is becoming a top word in this blog) festivals in Georgia with a decent attendance rate. And let me inform you, there are not just a handful of festivals. No, no, no. There are multiple festivals all throughout Georgia, particularly during summer when there is more free time to be spent outside. I'll begin this research process bright and early tomorrow morning. BUT one exciting festival I already discovered was the Hot Ait Balloon Festival in Summerville, Ga., this coming weekend. If Summerville wasn't all the way on the Alabama border, I would definitely be attending. Come on. HOT. AIR. BALLOONS. No more needs to be said. That simply sounds like an amazing time. I'll be sure to inform you guys of any additional crazy festivals in Georgia this summer, I am sure the state of peaches won't let us down.

The seven hour work day flew by today, all due to the many assigned projects, but I was happy to finally get home. I found the perfect Monday regime to kick off the Monday blues: a late evening run, a delicious seafood dinner and a few glasses of Moscato. 5 out of 5 doctors approve this lifestyle -I can only imagine! To top everything off, I received a special email from my parents. The email had two attachments from a dear friend (and roommate) of mine, Kaleigh. Kaleigh is off studying abroad in Montepulciano, Italy, and having the time of her life. She mailed me a post card of the beautifully colored city of Burano. Thanks for the card, love! It looks absolutely gorgeous.

Free Friday

Two for one special

Because I missed out on the blog scene Thursday and Friday you all get a wonderful BOGO blog --buy one, get one; two for the price of one; two birds with one stone, etc. This will be a nice way to relieve your weary eyes with only one post instead of two. Go ahead. Thank me. Cheers to me for my gracious act. But seriously....

THURSDAY

Right as I clocked in at 9 a.m. I was approached by the communications coordinator concerning a time-pressing project. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) was requesting a general hit list of any/all coverage for the "Picasso to Warhol: 14 Modern Masters" exhibit they lent to HMA as part of the museums' partnership. My task was to complete this exhibit's clip book by the afternoon. I devoted my entire morning and early afternoon to this project. My hope was to finish the assignment before it was due in order to show responsibility and good work ethic. I finished an hour early and was excited to show the communications coordinator. I looked in the final pile of papers in the box labeled 'clips' just to double check on my completiong. What do I find? A pile of roughly 100 additional clips for the Picasso to Warhol exhibit. These clips were hidden at the bottom of 500 other clips, just waiting for me to discover. Joy. Once I talked to the communication coordinator she informed me that MoMA didn't need the clips until the end of the next week. All that work I cranked out in four hours was more of a jump start than I had ever intended. A relief set in as I explained the hiding 100 clips. She was impressed I had filed and recorded so many clips in one day and was thankful that I had taken on the project. So Picasso, Warhol and the other 12 modern masters, we will meet again next week!

On Thursday, Megan and I were taken on a little field trip. We joined the communication coordinator as she went on air at 1690 AM, The Voice of The Arts, with radio personality Scott Glazer. The on air interview was between HMA's communication coordinator and local jazz musician Justin Chesarek. Justin was scheduled to play at HMA's Friday Jazz event. Megan and I met some of the nicest employees at 1690 AM. We were also able to stand in on the on air interview. Watching Scott, the personality, switch from person to person was talent and very impressive. The entire conversation was one hundred percent smooth and easy going. Having the chance to see public relations mix with another side of the communication field, radio, was great. I have personally formed professional relationships with radio stations; however, they were always email and phone-based. Being in the studio showed how well fields can mesh.

The work day ended marvelously as I met up with one of my sorority sisters, Hilary, for a move in the park at Atlantic Station. We made an entire day of the evening. We met directly after work and headed for dinner at Rosa Mexicano, in Atlantic Station. After dinner we were on the search for ice cream to enjoy during the movie. We had heard Coldstone Creamery was nearby so we set out on a journey. After 15 minutes of walking around a 2x2 block area we finally asked for help from a sales clerk. Let alone, did we realize she would be the bearer of bad news: Coldstone Creamery was no longer open! Sadness barely settled in when we discovered a Kilwins right around the corner. God obviously was watching over us. After being happy-little-5-year- old-girls-with-ice-cream-cones, we headed to the "grassy" park (astroturf actually) for Movie in the Park. We watched The Help, along with 200+ other people that night. It was an amazing time being outside with friends and enjoying the beautiful night weather --all for free. It doesn’t get too much better. Hilary and I plan to attend some additional Movie in the Parks this summer. Bring on the good times.

(Free) FRIDAY

Friday all the interns partake in activities set in the internship program. We were given of tour of the modern and contemporary galleries by one of the newer mod/con curators at HMA. I have seen this exhibit prior to starting my internship, but having a curator explain the artists' thought process really gets your mind and creativity flowing. Even being around the other interns, a majority of who are art studio majors, helps me to open my eyes to multiple interpretations of the art. One thing I have learned about modern and contemporary art (said by another intern):

        "Sometimes modern and contemporary art aren't to be clearly understood. Rather it is to provoke   conversation; it's to be a social element the artist wants his audiences to partake in...just as we are doing now."

During our lunch break we met with the membership department and learned more about their daily tasks and yearly goals at HMA. Basically, the membership department serves as the sale men/women for the museum. They are there to tell you that you should bump up to the next membership level because of x, y, and z. Every one in that department is great at what they do. However, I surely know that sales is not a strong suit of mine, so I will leave that one to the professionals.

Caffeine now. Crash later.

Coffee, please.

Starbucks at Colony Square must love interns. Kids who are not use to 9-5 hours and constant work evolve into returning customers day after day. I know this first hand because I am one of those beloved interns.  I do not indulge in Starbucks coffee everyday, but I do surely make a cup of joe in the morning. However, today I decided to spoil myself with an iced skinny caramel macchiato. Yum! Megan and I attended another lecture talk on Frida and Diego. Although the speaker was incredibly knowledgeable, the early morning lecture was too much for the two of us to handle and we had coffee on our minds. We headed out to the over-priced-flavored-coffee-shop, and we couldn't have been happier. The coffee was worth the walk and the heat.

The coffee revved us up just enough to crank out our newest communication project: distribution lists. Megan and I updated the current distribution lists and created mail labels for 100 different companies and organizations. The High was mailing fliers for their new summer event Archival Gotham: NYC on FILM. This event is a series of movies from the perspective of New York's streets in the comfort of Atlanta. Numerous classic films (i.e. East Side, West Side; Taxi Driver; The Projectionist) will also be shown on certain summer nights. If you are in the area, be sure to pick up a ticket and enjoy the show!

All day long Megan and I worked on this distribution list. Right at 5 p.m. we finished the last mailing kit and sent them on their way. Although it was an all day project it was nice to work side by side. Having someone keep you company helps make the day go faster. You know what else makes the day go faster? Lunch with friends from college! I met with Meg Harth and Megan Peterson (fellow MSCM majors #adqueens) for lunch and we caught up on events since graduation. It always puts on smile on my face seeing how well others are doing.

Although today was a great day, there always has to be something unexpected. This time it was something I will never wish upon anyone...my high heels broke. Okay, not the actual heel but rather the tip of the heel of BOTH shoes. Thankfully it happened toward the end of the day. Though I do feel bad for all those floors I scuffed and scratched up! Oops. I can’t complain too much about my heels because after 4 years of wear and tear Nine West shoes can hold on for only so long.

                  RIP

Nine West black suede heels.

You will be missed my friends.

       Loving owner, Sara

Three is the Magic Number

Three, Tres, Trois

      

3. Dad's favorite number. Dale Earnhardt's NASCAR number. Yup. I have come to realize three is very symbolic in my life. Since my freshman year in college I have always lived on the third floor of buildings:
             Freshman - Sophomore : Third floor of Adams Hall
                          Junior - Senior  : Third floor of the Bellamy Apartments
                                 Post Grad : Third floor of M.V. (when you park in the back lot)
                                  Internship : Third flood of the Administration Building at the High

Third.

This leaves me pretty excited for next week, because it will be the third week of my internship. Hopefully it will bring great things my way. Who knows, Wednesday (third day of the work week) of the third week at 3:33 p.m. may be the exact time my life changes completely. I'll keep you posted.
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After parking on the third floor of the parking garage, I had a nice chit chat with the lady at the front desk of my building. I honestly have no clue of her name, but she is beyond sweet and always asks how my morning has been. After exchanging pleasantries with her, I walked to the third floor to begin my work day. I arrived early and had time to think. What is it like to simply sit at a desk, act as security, and answer a few phone calls? As simple as it sounds there is no way I could excel at that job. However, Ms. Sweet Lady has discovered the trick. With a constant smile and encouraging conversation she is able to find joy. I could easily talk to her for 15 minutes and never feel uncomfortable. She makes simple topics (i.e. the cool a/c draft) a polite and friendly conversation. In the future I will be sure to have conversation with those at the front desk. Interaction is a beautiful thing...even if it is talking about the cool a/c draft.

Work was work today. No awesome marketing meetings or fun lunch dates, just an exclusive curator talk with Dr. Elliott King, curator for the summer 2013 Frida and Diego exhibit. Wait, what? A great perk to interning at the High is having the chance to take curator tours and listen to art discussions. Today I sat in on a discussion for Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting (note: three topics). This exhibit is the source of a research project I have been assigned, and this lecture was a great chance to get additional material. Dr. King was an outstanding, knowledgeable, energetic, and genuine speaker. His passion for art and these two artists was obvious through his presentation and explanations. I gathered three pages of notes within an hour and fifteen minutes. Not too shabby of a start to my research process. Tomorrow I am listening to an additional lecture on the exhibit, concentrating on Frida Kahlo.

Working at the High has zero drawbacks and many outstanding opportunities (yes, more than three).

I'm Bossy

How to be a Boss

1.) Wake up and have a steaming cup of Joe.

2.) Start your schweet automobile and insert Boss cd.

3.) Turn the volume up.

4.) Rock to the tunes of Lil' Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Jay Z, Drake and Beyonce.

5.) Embrace being a Boss.

If you can't tell, when I refer to 'Boss' I am clearing not referring to an authoritative position. Rather I am turning to my urban/hood side.

Boss (adj.) 1. Incredibly awesome, miraculous, great

           (n.)  2. A person who is a leader; someone who runs stuff in his/her hood or city

                (Credits due to Urbandictionary.com)

What brought this whole attitude change was my lovely roommate of four years, Natalie. That's the two of us just loving each other.  After jamming in the car for hours, the two of us decided we needed extra motivation to find internships/jobs. Solution? Obvi, a boss cd. Natalie came to visit this weekend and we sat down and made a "bossin" playlist to help us get in the correct mindset. Needless to say, it works! There is nothing like sitting in traffic on I-75 S jamming to "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett? And if you have forgotten the lyrics to that song, please let me remind you: "I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation (cue head banging)...."  Good times, good times.

In order to show you how well the Boss cd works, let me tell you about my day. I got a parking spot on the GOLD level. That’s the top level of parking which is normally full by 6 a.m. This girl pulled in right at 8:55 a.m. I felt like a Boss for sure.

The "Monday Blues" is always something you hear about in the work force. It's as if it's a stomach bug that just cycles around the office and makes everyone grumpy and sluggish. However, (thanks to my Boss cd) I had a great Monday. It went by very fast and I was assigned two new projects to keep me busy for the upcoming week.

I am very much enjoying my little cubicle as the weeks progress. It's like my safe little haven. Although I haven't personalized it yet, it serves as a safety zone. It's a place where I can sit back and get my work done and no one can see me/disturb me. The only drawback is that A.) I am near the water fountain so I fill my water bottle constantly. B. ) The bathroom is on the complete opposite side of the building. After a few trips to get water, I make just as many trips to the loo. This is not okay for a girl whose bladder is as tiny as a pea.

Mondays don't have to be that bad if you don't let them. Comfy desk chairs, a Boss cd, lunch with a friend (shout out to Morgan for our amazing lunch at TAP gastropub), and a cubicle haven is just what the doctor prescribed.

Free Friday

Week 1: Check
Every Friday my post will be titled "Free Friday." Why? Well everyone in the work force looks forward to Friday aka Pay Day. However, as a sweet little intern it's hard to find paid internships. Fridays I work for free; henceforth, I will post under the title "Free Friday."
(To those of you keeping tabs I am aware it's Saturday. I  just had to watch the Atlanta Braves win!).

 Friday was an absolutely amazing day at work. Every Friday, all High interns partake in a collective program. We have private tours through the High led by the exhibit's curator. What better way to learn about art than to have it explained by the curator who has been researching/gathering works for the exhibit for the past five years? This weeks' exhibit was The Art of Golf (Feb. 4 - June 24, 2012). I have no personal interest in the game of golf, but after hearing explanations, I was in awe. The first painting to relate to golf was Hendrick Acercamp's Winter Lanscape, ca. 1630.  
  

          

Hendrick Avercamp (Dutch, 1585-1634), Winter Landscape, ca. 1630, oil on copper, 11 1/4 x 16 3/4 inches.  Scottish National Gallery.

This painting depicts the early sport of kolf, which relates closely to the rules of modern day golf. This is simply one story of golf's origin, although there are many Scottish who would  disagree with the idea that golf was originally a Dutch tradition. These original works plus quotes by Bobby Jones, Earl Woods (Tiger's father) and Arnold Palmer, which decorate the walls, are worth seeing. 

Wayman Adams (American, 1883-1959) Bobby Jones, 1926, oil on canvas, 80 x 47 inches. Courtesy of Atlanta Athletic Club.
Small shout out to Bobby Jones, great Atlanta golfer, who is the only one to hold a grand slam all within one year.



After the private tour, the inerns attend a lunch and learn where a different department at the High discuss their role in the business. This week was the Development department who are control fundraisers, endowments, loyal patron memberships, and future expansions of the museum. The department had us play a game to guess what percentage of the museums' funding comes from each particular source. Yours truly hit it right on the nose and was rewarded this beaut from the gift shop (<--MoMA Perpetual Calendar) for my desk!

After returning to our cubicles for more research and clip-book organizing, the marketing department had a meeting with a top Atlanta marketing communication firm. To help plan future strategies for the High, our team participated in interactive exercises, open-ended think sessions, and personal brain storming. Everything about this meeting was absolutely amazing, mind-blowing, uplifting, creative, hi-energy and overall O-M-G. It was an absolutely amazing experience for Megan and I to not only sit through, but to participate in as well. We had the chance to learn more about our team members and their quirks and humor, while working to help improve the High!

This creative meeting was the ending to an incredible work day, and led to an equally amazing night: Braves country. I met up with two of my best friends from Savannah: Kirsten and Adam, as the Braves took on the Toronto Blue Jays. Long story short --paid $25 for a $50 seat, beer, great friends and a winning game! Sure can't beat that. Here are a few pictures to sum up the night:

     

         

Braves win 4-3 in extra innings as Jason Heyward steals home. Hollerrrr!



High Heels, High Standards

Walk this way

Media Preview was this morning, and was a great event for me to partake in. Roughly 25 media outlets were present to capture footage of three new exhibits housed at the High. It was the first glance at event planning I have had during this internship and I loved every second. I was sent out front to escort media and guests into the lecture hall. This sounds slightly boring until I was able to meet two of the artists, the president of Talladega College, and the Director of Marketing for the High. It was a great opportunity for me to make connections!

The preview lasted until noon and all guests were given press kits, catalogues and personal tours throughout the newest exhibits. I was also granted the opportunity to walk through the exhibits. I fell in love. I highly suggest everyone goes and sees the new paintings and photographs on the upper level of the High: Rising Up, Picturing New York, and Picturing the South (a collection granted by the Museum of Modern Art). I am ecstatic these exhibits are present for the next three months, just in time for my parents to view them during their visit in late-July.

The media preview took up a majority of the morning, which left only a few hours left in the work day (music to my ears). The day had been great with the preview and now I had the task of pinning works of art to the High's Pinterest page. I was able to upload three of my four concept boards, with the fourth one waiting until tomorrow morning. The new boards are titled: Welcome Home, DIY, Larger than Life. Check them out and repin them on your own board!

Today was honestly a great day. Nothing could bring me down, and I was able to soak up some knowledge at the same time. I also met a few more of the interns during the media preview, so all-in-all it was a successful day at the High for this girl.

Side note-- at the media preview a highly recognized donator grabbed my badge, to refer to my name, and it simply say s"intern#18." My first post was correct all along. My name is Sara Hernandez Intern #18.

Here are a few things that made my day fabulous:

1.) Nine West shoes are the most comfortable to wear (What's up 6 flights of stairs? Try me.)

2.) Italian chicken salad (amazing) in my cubicle (sarcasm). 

3.) Feeling 100% needed during the day's events.

4.) Having a late afternoon break.

5.) Making friends with the doormen/woman (score).

On to tomorrow where I experience my first Friday aka Pay Day.......oh wait......

First Humpday

 Wednesday, geez.

As the week progresses I am handed an additional task everyday. I greet these tasks with a smile because it is one more skill I can have under my belt. Today the new task was to organize and update the Clip Books (physically and digitally). I know the importance of maintaining all your client's published material, but never had I seen such quantity. Today, alone, Megan and I logged roughly 200 media placements (within the past year and a half)...and we barely put a dent in the pile. A good opportunity with this task is to see what media outlets are available in Atlanta. Some placements are outside Georgia, but a majority resonates in the local surrounding area. On top of that, the Clip Book makes you realize that whether it is a press release, feature article, short story, or a simple blurp on the side bar of a website --everything is worth keeping.

Clip Books were how I ended my day, but a conference call was how it all began. The Communication Department held a conference call with one absent member of the team. The High's Media Day is tomorrow and that is exactly what the call/meeting concerned. Short and to the point, the Director of Marketing laid out the game plan for tomorrow's event so everyone was on the same page. With having up to 25 media outlets visiting and touring the High's newest exhibits, it is important to have everyone informed and on time. That being said tomorrow is going to be an extremely early morning with cups and cups of strong coffee. Hello Maxwell House coffee --extra strong and extra black. Me? I'll settle for a tall  iced Starbucks caramel macchiato.

Today's lesson was actually learned outside of the High's wall. Emotions and feelings are a great cue to your strengths and weaknesses. Today I realized one of my strengths is to have everything under control and being completely aware of upcoming projects. This will definitely be helpful as the summer progresses and more projects and deadlines are tossed my way. I do well under pressure and stress, which leaves me to only be confident throughout this internship as well as the first few years of figuring out how the "real world" works and operates.

Slow Motion

Sit back and pin

After having two years of pr and ad client work at Georgia College it's hard to slow down. I'm use to running around town, planning meetings, organizing material and trying to catch my breath once in a while. I have even had a break down or two behind closed doors (mom and dad can attest to that). Being at the High has required me to slow my roll and take a deep breath. I now sit in a cubicle, accompanied with my Intern #18 badge and HP desktop, and wait. I have research to do but a girl can look at the computer for only so long without going crazy.

I'm not familiar with sitting inside all day and not having a neighbor to talk to (all of my teachers surely can attest to that). I enjoy being on the go, completing errands and running from one meeting to the next. That's all gone now and I have to accept it. I need/am going to take this slow down and soak up all the skills and knowledge I can. It's going to be hard and sometimes painful, but it will be for the better.

Today was a nice change in events. Apart from research I was able to help the Public Relations pro assemble the press kits for Thursday's Media Day. Megan and I gathered appropriate press releases and slipped them into a sleek High folder. That was it. Sometimes it is actually as simple as that. All the bells and whistles aren't needed to wow someone when the product is already great quality....remember that.

Later I was given an assignment that would have never been muttered 3 years ago:

"Why don't you see what other Pinterest boards you can create for the High."

That's right. I got to create visuals for those who love to pin their interests. This task I do not mind one bit.

The previous intern for the Spring already developed the Pinterest page for the High Museum of Art (HMA), and now I was getting to enjoy the coat tails of project. My current task is to develop concepts for pinboards and decide which artworks from the High's permanent collection to display. I get to use some creativity and I love it.

Intern #18

Day One

First day as the PR intern at the High Museum of Art under my belt! With my badge in hand I headed for my car to rest my sore little feet. It was a good kind of sore. Well, not really because the pain was from the fact that my flats were brand new. But had they been sore from a day's work ---that's what I will tell myself.

The day began with a 7 a.m. wake up call, coffee, music and light rain fall as I headed down 75 S toward Atlanta. I met with 14 other interns, all female except for one lucky dude. The ratio of alot:little/girls:boys no longer comes as a surprise to me. My last 2 years have been 98% estrogen and I expected no different in the pr field (or in the art field for that matter). I was handed an intern packet and my badge and sent on my way. Looking down, I saw I was now referred to as "Intern #18." Cool name change, maybe it will stick.

Working at the High is actually not all about art as one would think. However, it is about managing a business of art. The High, still, is an amazing place to work and it's only the end of day one. My duties mostly consisted of research but I know my research teacher, Dr. English, would beem with joy at this news.

Research isn't too bad especially since it starts each and every successful public relations campaign. To keep motivated you have to look at the big picture. Once you have seen the painting for what it is you can concentrate on the texture, medium, strokes and detail. (Let the art metaphors, similes, and analogies begin).

As a part of the marketing/pr/communication department I have another intern I will be working closely with, Megan. As a junior she has great opportunities to learn from her experience at the High and imply the skills set during her last year in school. Having Megan by my side will be a nice way to transition into a job where everything and everyone is a stranger. We might even be each other's saving grace throughout this summer



To give us a break from researching, the department took me and Megan to lunch at TAP, an American gastropub on Peachtree Street. The vibe and atmosphere is absolutely city-hipster-chic and I loved every second. Thanks to the High for the wonderful treat! Having a black bean burger was exaclty what my Meatless Monday tradition had in mind. I suggest this restaurant to anyone looking to dine in the Midtown area of Atlanta.


Overall, day one of interning went as smooth as ever. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring. I already know it has museum tours and press kits involved. I'm so glad I signed up for this.

**This post is a shout out to Megan Peterson, my MSCM bff who always got called out for snickering with me in class. Even though you are .3 miles down Peachtree Street from me, it's too far. I guess the High knew that and decided to pair me with another Megan. Don't worry --she will be no you. We have had too many laughs for any other Megan, or Sara, to intercept.

It's a bloggy-blog world out there

Why blog?

So I sit here thinking if I should partake in this wonderful world of cyberspace chit chat. Is it because people should give two cents about my thoughts? Most likely not. So, should the world be enlightened by my top-of-the-line knowledge? Again, doubt it. However, I am starting a new chapter in my life and desire a way to capture it all. Now, is blogging the way to go? Well, many of my close MSCM friends have started blogging their internship experiences and I simply want to jump on the bandwagon. So here goes....

After sippin' mason jars of sweet tea in the wonderful town life of Savannah, Georgia,  for the past 22 years, a change is due. I now live in Kennesaw with a roommate I am destined to love. While living here in ksaw, soon to rep the 770 area code, I have begun a new bedtime ritual: Sex and the City! Maybe the tv series is to blame for my notion to blog. I mean, Carrie Bradshaw is fabulous as am I. So why not?

The whole reason behind this blog is to remember my adventures while interning at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. After competing with 150 qualified students, I was chosen as the Public Relations intern for the summer! I could not be more excited to begin a journey of cultured arts, galas, artist discussions and table talks. This is going to be one summer I will never forget. Join me for the ride...

This was my first trip to see the High Museum of Art.
Less than a week later I entered through those doors as their intern.