Super Sleepy and Swollen Tonsils :_(

Caught up with my lovely grandpa earlier. My papa appears to be slowly recovering from our crazy Euro-trip to see the parentals. And is now on-board with texting! I am so proud! :D

I could be doing several other productive things tonight, like thesis research, Taller project research, job research, or apartment research, but I don't really feel good, and have a sore throat. So I will be doing laundry and watching a movie instead.

July 10, 2012,

Despite Cassandra being out today, today was a productive day. I briefly met Sandra, Director of Education, and finished up several mini-projects having to do with the Marta Sanchez exhibition (today I learned we did not have to be writing her name with an accent.) I am also now familiarizing myself with how grants and proposals work, and reading up on our next projects. 


I will have two meetings with Sandra coming up, one tomorrow with Cassandra, and one Thursday (I am pretty sure Cassandra will be there, too.) At these meetings, we will be discussing the upcoming student show, which is centered around cultural festivals.

Marta Sanchez is just about finished up after today. The exhibition binder and its contents, handout, wall text, and actual gallery space have all been squared away. 

Today I also had a meeting with Carmen, Cat (a Moore alumna who is now employed full-time at Taller,) and Raphael. The meeting began with a phone conference with a representative from the Andy Warhol Foundation who gave Taller Puertorriqueño feedback on its grant proposal submission (it was unsuccessful, unfortunately.) After the feedback, there was a meeting about what could have been done differently, and what will be done differently for next year.

Looking forward, I am now gearing up to help with the NEA proposal. I am also familiarizing myself with the TAKEN: Claiming Places cycle for 2013 and 2014, as well as getting some cultural background concerning the vejigantes (trickster creatures from Puerto Rican folklore.)

First Friday Soon- Speed Entry

Looks like my speed entry did not post correctly. I will fix it up later. I am too tired tonight

Big Girl Living. Cooking Zucchini and Such

Well, last night with my friends for the fourth was awesome, but I was so panicked about making back in time for my 2nd day of internship that I took a ridiculously early train out from my friend's house back. I had so much time before work that I ate a huge breakfast, cooked and packed my lunch, cleaned my room, and BSed for like an hour.

Slowly figuring out SEPTA. Not even slightly scared of public transpo anymore after all the Europe shenannigans. Sorry I didn't start my blog earlier like I said I would. I barely had internet for half the time I was over there, anyways though. I like that I'm starting it up from now better, anyways. I'll look way more productive this way. :) But now that I've settled in more and had a chance to breathe, I PROMISE that I'll finish editing the Europe pics and upload them on Facebook.

The most important thing today is that I am way too proud of myself for having just cooked a big girl meal, in a big girl kitchen, with real pots and pans. AND it was not screwed up at all. Delicious even. Golden zucchini sliced real thin, fried up, and mixed in red sauce, on bow-tie pasta (thanks to Kelly.) Yes. So adult.

Anyways, today was another awesome day at Taller (besides hitting the sleepy-wall at 3pm and being extremely dehydrated all day- ;) I walked a lot in 90+ degree weather yesterday.) Journal entry below...

July 5, 2012:  
Writing and editing skills have been very important so far. I am currently still fixing up parts of Marta Sánchez's exhibition text. (Samples will be included.) Using Mailchimp, the e-mail newsletter has been finished and sent out after Rafael put finishing touches on it. 

Once the text that I am working on is finished, I will be putting together an exhibition book for Sra. Sánchez's work, including her bio, and any other relevant information.

I have been told that I will attend a meeting about a proposal that did not go through, and as to why it did not so that the process can be improved on for next time. It will be good for me to hear ideas for what to do to ensure a successful proposal. 

On the 12th at 2 p.m. I will be attending a meeting with Sandra Andino Phd., director of Education. We will be discussing the student show that I will help in the selection process and hang in August.

Today Rafael and Carmen Febo San Miguel M.D. (the Executive Director) also spoke to me about a possible project that I would take on myself for Feria del Barrio. Details as that develops- I would rather not get ahead of myself with that one.

Taller Puertorriqueño Internship

First Day at Taller!

I'll be posting what I am up to for the rest of the summer, as well as my daily internship journal entries about my time Taller Puertorriqeño, for Moore, on this blog in bold. (They are a tiny bit formal, and re-dated so that I can easily copy them out later for my hard-copy journal to turn in.) I'll try to include links to everything and keep you as in the loop as I can.

Just so all of you guys know, "Taller" means "workshop," in Spanish, and it's pronounced "tal-yerr." Not "taller" as in "Shaq is taller than you..."

Taller homepage:
http://www.tallerpr.org/
Link to current Lorenzo Homar Exhibition:
http://www.tallerpr.org/A/Lorenzo-Homar-Gallery/Current-Exhibits.aspx

Happy 4th of July! I have the day off, so I'm just finishing this up this morning :)

Introduction:
Taller Puertorriqeño is, according to its mission statement, "a community based cultural organization whose primary purpose is to preserve, develop and promote Puerto Rican arts and culture. Grounded in the conviction that embracing one's cultural heritage is empowering, Taller is also committed to the representation and support of other Latino cultural expressions and our common roots." 

My internship host is Rafael Damast and his title at Taller is Special Events Coordinator & Visual Arts Program Manager. I will be working directly under him, and he has told me that he will be turning large responsibilities over to me with full confidence, just as he has been with Cassandra (another Moore intern who has been here for some time already.) He has assured both of us that we will absolutely not be filing folders and fetching coffee for him.  

My placement is going to specifically deal with curatorial problems and responsibilities, so it is a perfect fit. I will be working with the following major projects:

• Upcoming Claiming Places Cycle (Claiming Places: Unity, Ownership, and Hogar)
• NEA Proposal for TAKEN: using Latino Iconography and Lexicons in Contemporary Art (for 2013-2014 cycle)
• Taller's art inventory (organizing and managing in Excel)
• Mounting of children's show in August (I am not sure of the title yet, if there is one) 

I will most likely be working 40hr work weeks, and possibly come in on Saturdays.


July 3, 2012:  
Today started with introductions to the friendly staff and an in-depth tour of the building, especially concentrating on the Lorenzo Homar Gallery, which as I mentioned, we are largely responsible for.

My first day at Taller was also Rafael's first day back, so it was the first time both of us had seen the Marta Sánchez Arte Bendito/Arte Filantrópico (Blessed Art/Philantropic Art) show. He asked both Cassandra and me to take a close look at it, and make adjustments as needed to help improve it in clarity and function. He encouraged me to be critical and he was open to any insights I might have.

Seeing as this show is to raise money for three different causes, clarity as to which cause is benefited by sales of which installations is key. We edited wording and placement of text panels, and moved parts of the exhibition around so that everything functioned better and made more sense. Lighting was adjusted as well as placement of a small T.V. monitor that was showing a looped film.

We had a brief meeting about upcoming projects, what will be involved, and scheduling. These meetings are to be held weekly. 

Rafael introduced me to various online tools like Dropbox and Mailchimp. I was given accounts to both and we are also using Skype, in addition to Dropbox for file sharing.  

Upon editing a draft of a newsletter to be sent out for Marta Sánchez's exhibition, I spotted some discrepancies between information from labels, wall text, and the newsletter, and cleared it up with Sra. Sanchez about it in a quick conference call Rafael made. The exhibition will also be extended a week so that we can make as many profits towards theses important causes as possible.