Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) - Billy Ramirez, Week 3

 July 20 - Thursday

I worked independently for several hours and later in the day, I helped prepare and set up snacks for the GMUI (Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship) Learning Community Event. This event was basically a panel Q&A session hosted by current LACMA artists in different program departments. The audience included college students in the Getty Program who were interested in museum studies, history, the arts, and more. It was interesting to hear the experiences of each artist and thoughtful advice for upcoming artists in such a challenging and competitive field. There were roughly twelve Getty interns who came from numerous museums based in Los Angeles. It was reassuring to not be the only college student in the room considering I am the youngest in most board meetings. After the seminar was over, we met the curator of the gallery's Afro-Atlantic Histories and explored numerous artworks. Next, we visited the LACMA library and learned about the process of archives and preserving historical documents. Lastly, I had a check-in with my supervisor and continued to work on my project for a bit till my shift was over. 





July 21 - Friday  

I began my day setting up for a special Communities in Schools tour. Basically, LACMA hosted a tour for high school students and I pitched in where help was necessary. I sorted bags of art supplies and guide manuals and distributed them to the children before they ventured off on the tour. After, I joined the high schoolers and shadowed the tours led by docents who explained the art pieces. It was nice to participate in the tour and hear in-depth explanations of several artworks. Some of the different galleries I explored included Afro-Atlantic Histories and Light, Space, and Surface. After, I shadowed my supervisor in the galleries as she was evaluating an incoming docent who gave a mock tour. After providing feedback to the docent, my day ended and I left for home. 











July 22 - Saturday 


Despite the grueling heat, this day was more on the fun side. I helped set up the program located at Charles White Elementary School to laud the final closing of the pressing politics museum exhibit. 


The Pressing Politics: Revolutionary Graphics from Mexico and Germany highlighted shared subjects and visual strategies of the late 1930s Taller de Gráfica Popular in Mexico City and the revival of the German Expressionist graphics response to a nationwide revolution in 1918. It was interesting to see the intersectionality between these two 20th-century events and how they evoked activism. This exhibition really allowed me to put on my historian hat and connect differing social events with similar printing press responses fashioned in forceful visual terms communicated to a vast audience.


During the display of artwork, there was a printing press art activity occurring. So once I arrived, I set up plexi plates on tables with paint, brayers, and accessible paper. Additionally, I set up the NexGen table and a sketching station outside for those who wanted to participate. The sketching station was the first station of the program where participants drew a design on styrofoam paper. This following station would be where the final printing press product was created using paints and colors. 


My designated role for the first half of the program was to overlook the classroom area of the museum where I demonstrated to children how to finalize their printing press artwork. Essentially, they had to apply paint on the styrofoam design and transfer it onto paper using barens. After, my role switched to working outside at the sketching station, conversing with participants and guiding them on how to approach design works. I decided to create my own printing press sketch design of Frida Kahlo (which I did not really like). Most of the other kids who participated had way more appealing artwork than myself (a reason why I should not be an art major). Toward the end of the program, I greeted visitors and ate the free tamales that our program was handing out. Once the program was over, I helped clean up and head out across the street to MacArthur Park and watched the band La Santa Cecilia playing at the Levitt Pavilion. 









July 24 - Monday   


This day was more chill. Once I arrived at LACMA I worked independently on my Google classroom and after I had a public work meeting via Zoom. Afterward, I had further guidance from my supervisor on how I should organize the classroom. Next, I ate my lunch and worked independently for a bit till I went home. 



July 25 - Tuesday  


This was a very exciting day as I explored metro art- too bad it was tremendously hot and obscurely humid. Me and the other twelve Getty Undergrad Mellow Interns met at Union Station and traveled on the A Line to Little Tokyo Station. We met with artist Audrey Chan for a tour of her Metro Art project, Will Power Allegory. Her display of art encompassed people and symbols from Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, Arts District, Skid Row, Bronzeville, and Gabrielino/Tongva Tribe. Essentially, it highlighted the power of remembrance and resistance from past and present eras and future generations. It was very eye-opening to hear about the tedious process the artist went through to execute this artwork. I left that metro space having greater respect for Metro artists and their process behind creating pieces. 


Afterward, we had lunch and a conversation with Nica Aquino, a practicing visual artist, and curator. It was fascinating to hear how her career choice unraveled and what motivated her to pursue the arts. Although I am not an arts major or plan to pursue a career in the arts, it was intriguing to learn what other career choices entail. 


Next, we traveled to China Town and had a tour of the Tierra del Sol Gallery and Q & A with Paige Wery, Gallery Director, and Curator. I learned that the Tierra del Sol Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that fosters inclusion and value for individuals with disabilities through creative expression for employment, education, and the arts. I thought the abstract and colorful artworks were beautiful and comical. My favorite one was a replication of “The Scream” by Pablo Picasso with a UFO. Despite the grueling heat that brushed on me, causing me to be drenched in sweat, I enjoyed my time in this studio and was uplifted by these artists. 


My day was practically over and I took the metro to head home.









July 26 - Wednesday  


I began my day by brushing up on my Google classroom project. After I went on a Gallery Walk Through for an event LACMA will be hosting in August called Poetry in Color. Me and some LACMA employees were given a tour of the Afro-Atlantic Histories Gallery and provided explanations behind various artworks. Basically, the employees were eyeing which pieces they wanted to choose for display at the poetry event. Afterward, I had lunch, worked on my project, and joined a Public Program marketing meeting. Furthermore, I worked on my project some more and then headed back home. 



Emotional Support Pet :D 

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