Art Rep NYC

My name is Sarah Andersen and over the summer I interned with Art Rep NYC, a small agency in New York that represents illustrators and animators. Since I plan to move to Brooklyn when I graduate, I wanted to spend the summer working and building my network there. I found the internshipby researching illustration agencies in Brooklyn, and emailed the president, Michael Thibeault, to see ifhe needed interns. Coincidentally, he had been searching for interns at RISD, but liked my portfolio andgave me a phone interview the same day. After visiting his office, we agreed the internship would workout.

Art Rep NYC is run exclusively by Michael Thibeault. I spent a lot of time learning how agentsfind jobs for illustrators, and what the business aspect of an illustration job entails. To help Michael, I would research potential clients and put together appropriate illustration samples to email to them. I gotto know most of the illustrators he represents and was exposed to the various methods of working via their portfolios. I also worked on updating the online presence of Art Rep NYC, and would regularly update their social media pages.

Michael was also very generous in letting me use my illustration work in tandem with his
agency. He gave me assignments, and would email the finished products to various publications,
including an illustrated hairstyle tutorial to “Seventeen” magazine. I did wind up getting a few actual
jobs, including a T-shirt design for singer Janet Devlin and several spot illustrations in a manual for
American Addiction Centers. The spot illustrations for American Addiction Centers is my proudest
achievement from the internship, as I did almost twenty drawings. Michael helped me through the
entire process, including how to communicate with my clients and how to send an appropriate invoice.

Working at Art Rep NYC was an extremely valuable experience and it taught me everything I
wanted to learn. Through assisting Michael and having hands-on experience with actual jobs, I feel that I have a much greater understanding of the illustration world. Furthermore, Michael and I got along very well and he is excellent connection. In fact, he has offered me a place as an illustrator at his agency once I graduate. Though I don't know exactly where I'll be in a year, this opportunity gave me a lot of valuable experience and the security of a job in freelance once I graduate.