Jay Hall Carpenter, Sculptor

I was granted the opportunity to work with Jay Hall Carpenter for my internship and I found out about him in my figure sculpture class, after talking to Robert Copskey and Joe Greene, one of our sculpture models. They both mentioned Jay's name to me a few times and told me to consider reaching out to him since I was very interested in figurative sculpture. I found his contact information through his website and sent him an email with my resume and images from my portfolio to express my interest in doing an internship at his studio. 

A few days later, he responded asking me to come into the studio for an interview. Jay agreed to take me on as an intern. I found out that he was working on a very large monument. He was making a sculpture of three life-size women. He was sculpting the women responsible for the cure for Whooping Cough for the University of Michigan State.

When I began working for Jay Hall Carpenter, the Whooping Cough project was just beginning. I was able to be a part of the entire process from making the armature, carving the understructure out of foam, adding the clay, refining the clay work, and even making the molds of the sculpture. I was incredibly excited when I was able to work on some of the more important features of the figures including the arms and legs. By being a part of not only the creation of the sculpture, but the mold making. I realized how important mold making can be.

I found that through this internship I was able to acquire knowledge in how a professional artist’s studio works. Through experiencing the entire process of making a significant monument, I found myself believing more and more that it is possible to have a successful career as a sculptor. This internship has opened my eyes to a few more sculptural career paths and I’ve greatly appreciated my time with Jay Hall Carpenter.

Wide Angle Youth Media

This semester, I had the pleasure an honor of working at Wide Angle Youth Media as a Video Apprentice. Wide Angle Youth Media is a non-profit organization that teaches Baltimore youth media production and graphic design. I had the pleasure of working under David Sloan, Production Manager, where I got hands on experience in their production studio sublet that specializes in documentary. 

My primary responsibilities were to operate the camera while interviewing subjects, filming B-Roll, and editing footage. As I started, we acquired an account from the Maryland Arts Council to document artists all over the state. I have sent the last month and a half traveling to different counties to film for 12 hour days at time and edit the footage during the week. 

My time at Wide Angle has taught extensively about documentary work. I now know how to get the best angle, the best shots, and right lighting in interviews. I know to how to guide interview subjects in their answers to get the best quotes. I have become a much more efficient editor with the critique of my supervisors. 

Upon completion of my internship, I discovered I would like to work full time as an editor and hone my skills. 

FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture

I learned about FORCE through the chair of the Photo Department, Nate Larson. He introduced me to Hannah Brancato, the co-founder of FORCE and the Monument Quilt. We met at FORCE’s space and talked about what the internship looked like and what some options were for projects I could work on. I secured the internship by sending Hannah an internship proposal outlining my goals, objectives, and availability for the Spring semester.

FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture is a nationally-known creative activist group collaborating with survivors to upset the culture of rape and promote a culture of consent. They have produced large-scale public art projects including the Monument Quilt which has been exhibited nationwide. The Monument Quilt is shown in public spaces to create a safe space for survivors to share their stories and heal through community. FORCE is publicly supporting survivors of rape and abuse. The Monument Quilt will be displayed this summer in the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Hannah Brancato, my supervisor, is among FORCE’s leadership team and one of the company’s co-founders. She and others among the leadership team are working to get the quilt ready for display but are also working locally and nationally to create spaces of conversation, host trainings, and speak at art and media conferences to spread knowledge of sexual violence in America.

As an intern for FORCE, I have been working on preparing and making a series of videos about the Monument Quilt. The three-part series talks about the history of the monument quilt and how it has played a role in local and national communities, what FORCE is doing now to prepare for its culminating display at the national mall, and the future to come for the quilt after the display. These projects have enhanced my video editing skills immensely. Throughout this process I’ve gotten to meet and work with all types of people involved in the quilt, whether its volunteers, photographers, interns, or the leadership team. I’ve learned so much about non-profit workflow and what it really means to be involved in the community as an organization that strives to be inclusive to everyone. I’ve been able to witness the intersectionality between art and activism and how I see it playing a role in my future endeavors as an artist, or as Mora calls it, an “artivist.” I’m so proud to have been a part of these events leading up to this display and to have had the privilege to work with these strong individuals.