Seyi Olaose ’22


ESTRELLA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

This summer, I worked as a Gallery Assistant for a small up-and-
coming gallery originally located in Brooklyn, called the ESTRELLA Gallery. During the internship, my responsibilities included helping the Gallery Director with day to day tasks, completing projects throughout the week, and working with another intern to ensure that the gallery was running as smoothly as possible.

When my internship began, there was an exhibition underway for an upcoming artist. In the first week, I curated the photographs of the art pieces that were going to be on display for the exhibition. I also created a schedule to ensure that everything went smoothly on the day of the exhibition. Following that week, the director decided that he wanted to move the gallery space to another location. I was tasked with finding suitable places for a gallery space before it was time to relocate. After that, my responsibilities and tasks relaxed a bit as the first two weeks were intense! Additionally, my supervisor also works at another gallery space so he needed a break as well.

My next assignment was to curate a presentation to find artists for a runway show that would take place during Fashion Week in New York City. Unfortunately, my supervisor had to leave on an emergency trip which meant the assignment was delayed. When my supervisor returned, we briefly went over the project but couldn’t do so in depth 
due to time constraints on the internship. In conclusion, my roles and responsibilities at the beginning of the summer shifted by the end of the internship which I believe is telling about the realities of working in the art industry.

Working in a gallery space has definitely expanded my vision on my future career path. Prior to this internship, I worked in a studio space which meant I only got to work with one or two people on specific tasks. Though the 
gallery space I worked in this summer was smaller in staff than the average gallery space, I believe it gave me a better understanding of the difference between working in a studio space versus working in a gallery space. Discerning the difference between the two was incredibly important to me as I wanted to be able to know what to expect going into any job I would have post-graduation. I believe this internship was incredibly pivotal in helping me discern that.

To Dr. Jimmy Shern and Florence Lee, I am beyond grateful for this opportunity. Thank you for your generous 
support and helping me further my career.