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.
---

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.