Internship Program Spotlight

This week we are shining a spotlight on our photography intern, Bailey Tann. Bailey currently attends the University of Missouri, Kansas City as a second semester senior. She hopes to continue a creative career through photography and design after her time here at Studios Inc.  Check out the Q & A for Baileys perspective……Q: Meeting and continually being surrounded by art can spark some inspiration, have you noticed your outlook on your own art changing or the process that you go through? A: Spending time around the artists here at Studios Inc, as well as the artists at UMKC, gives me a constant source of encouragement and inspiration to tap into. The gears have definitely been turning in an exciting direction since I’ve been an intern here. I have had first-hand examples of all of the ways to be an artist and all of the ways to create art, and as it turns out, there are no rules to creating your own work. Something I have known but haven’t lived in the past.  Q: What originally interested about photography? Or art in general?A: I have had some kind of a camera for as long as I can remember, from Polaroid I-Zone cameras from the 90s, numerous cheap film cameras, point-and-shoots, and finally my DSLR. My camera was just a tool. As I needed my bike to travel around the neighborhood, I needed my camera to document life with my friends. It wasn’t until high school that one of my English professors submitted a photo of mine into a competition. The first prize winner got to take home a brand new DSLR, which I only knew of at the time as ‘cameras that take pictures with blurred backgrounds’. Long story short, I ended up taking third place, but with the help of the community in my small town and family, I was able to get my own DSLR. That changed my perspective entirely… and as they say, the rest is history.Q: What are you going to school for and what do you hope to do post-graduation?A: I am finishing up my final semester at UMKC studying design and photography. This final semester I have directed my attention primarily to design courses- giving myself the skills I may need during the always looming ‘post grad job hunt’. Currently I have plans post grad for traveling and freelance design work, as well as trying to get my foot in the door with my travel photography. I hope to just try a bunch of different directions to find which best fits me.Q: What brought you to Studios Inc?A: This semester is my last at UMKC and the pressure was on to seek answers, do more, and actively search for my different opportunities. Kind of last minute, I found the Studios Inc call for interns on the UMKC art newsletter. I was so excited I hadn’t missed the deadline and I have enjoyed all of my time here since.Q: What has been the most valuable part of working at Studios Inc?A: Working at Studios Inc hasn’t felt like even a minute of work. I get to spend my time meeting the residents, attending the events and meeting the local artist community, all while getting the chance to work on my technical photography skills. I’ve had the chance to work one on one with each resident to document their work, process, and their space, and that has been completely invaluable. Q: What has been the most rewarding part of being a photographer?A: Last year a couple of my photography projects were accepted into the UMKC student show. At the show’s opening night, so many people came up to me to tell me how my photos made them feel. It was the first time I had commentary outside of my classes and a felt a huge connection to the people around me, who were various ages, professions, genders. Absolutely the most rewarding time in my photographic career.Q: Consequently, what has been the least rewarding part of being a photographer?A: As with many different art careers, there is a lot of misunderstanding around the process of taking images. I often have people asking if I could “just take a few quick photos” for them in my free time, assuming the process is as simple as point, click, send. The misconception of the time that goes into making images is definitely the most frustrating aspect of being a photographer, but it also fuels me to show ‘them’ what I got.Q: Meeting and continually being surrounded by art can spark some inspiration, have you noticed your outlook on your own art changing or the process that you go through?A: Spending time around the artists here at Studios Inc, as well as the artists at UMKC, gives me a constant source of encouragement and inspiration to tap into. The gears have definitely been turning in an exciting direction since I’ve been an intern here. I have had first-hand examples of all of the ways to be an artist and all of the ways to create art, and as it turns out, there are no rules to creating your own work. Something I have known but haven’t lived in the past. Internship Program Description: With committed staff, dedicated resident artists, patron involvement and a compelling mission Studios Inc offers opportunity for an immersive and contagious experience.  The intern will interact with business and visual art community leaders who offer a valuable network for career development. The internships are custom designed in respect to specific programmatic needs and the creative inclinations of the participant.  Through the process of interviews, identifying intern goals and tracking performance measures, the program results insure the development of all parties involved. The intern’s abilities, interests, and availability will shape specific duties.  This is a volunteer position; if it fulfills an academic requirement, Studios Inc will collaborate with the candidate and academic institution to create a fun, resume-building experience.