My name’s McLean Francis and I’m currently a rising Junior Interdisciplinary Sculpture major. Starting in June of 2015, I have been working with LanningSmith Studio in their studio on the east side of Baltimore Studio. I initially heard about the studio through my close friends at MICA (friends that have now graduated). The friends knew that I was looking for an internship and gave me the number of Kyle Smith (founder of LanningSmith). I texted and called and eventually we scheduled a meeting. I arrived and we talked for about an hour about everything from my history, to the history of the company. By the end of the interview he said I got the job!
From the beginning I knew it was a company I wanted to be involved with. His relaxed attitude and eagerness for a personal connection introduced me to the style of working environment I would be in. When I started, I was immediately thrown into some big projects. The first day consisted of me getting to know my way around the studio and then starting on some actual work! At first I would do small remedial jobs such as sanding and gluing but eventually became in charge of cut lists and staple gunning and even sourcing materials. Im most proud of my new found ability to create highly refined projects. Historically at MICA, my work tends to not have a very refined finish but now I’m confident in my ability to tie up loose ends.
This will go down as the first job I’ve ever had that I truly enjoyed, and I am infinitely proud that I secured a position in the company for years to come. The most important thing I learned is that no matter what field you’re in, no success will come without hard work. Im in awe of the amount of hours my boss works, and am happy that I can now say that I have a mentor figure. Additionally, its comforting to know not only that this career field exists, but that it is a field I absolutely would like to enter upon graduation. In short, working with Kyle of LanningSmith Studio was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had and brightens my outlook on post graduation life.
