Community Partner : Art with a Heart Intern : Marcus Breed Site Supervisor : Christina Ralls
What is Art with a Heart ?
Art with a Heart works to enhance the lives of people in need through visual art . Art with a Heart brings visual art classes to vulnerable youth and adults in schools , shelters , group homes , community centers , hospitals and senior facilities .
When I was matched with this internship , I will admit that I was a bit nervous . I am a rising senior majoring in mechanical engineering , and I already felt as though I was ignoring my long-term goals by accepting my placement in CIIP instead of searching for an engineering internship . To be matched up with an art nonprofit ? Terrifying . Even though art is one of my main hobbies , I couldn ' t shake the feeling that indulging in my passion would lead me off my career path .
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Designed and worked on large-scale murals and mosaic pieces to be installed in the Baltimore community Helped create curriculum for and taught high-schoolers a six-week program on graphic design , 3D modeling , and career skills Fulfilled and packed orders for HeARTwares customers
This feeling was immediately assuaged the minute I stepped into the Art with a Heart office . I was given a variety of tasks based on my interests and skills : I was allowed to design and illustrate mural designs for public art projects , help design the curriculum of and teach a virtual class on graphic design and 3D modeling , create prototypes for future art project kits , and facilitate multiple in-person programs . More than that , the culture of the workplace was incredible to me . I struggle with self-esteem issues due to my difficult university major and mental health issues , but my supervisor and the other amazing people at Art with a Heart made me feel like I was an integral part of the team . Never before have I been surrounded by such positive , uplifting people who facilitated so much personal growth in such a short period of time .
350 words are not enough to explain my internship at Art with a Heart . Though I could easily list the tasks I was able to accomplish while there , nothing could describe the lessons and amount of introspection that this internship has given me . I now know that I really want to incorporate art and design into my career in some way , since they bring me so much joy and fulfillment . I was feeling very concerned about my career before this internship , and though in some ways this has added a bit more confusion to the mix , I feel so much more confident about my ability to succeed in life , regardless of where I end up .
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