Thank you, Gallery Aferro. 

Hey! I’m Martin, and I joined the Aferro team as an Administrative/Curatorial Intern. 

I truly enjoyed my time here. I wanted to have a good introductory experience into the visual arts world, and I feel as if this was the best start I could’ve gotten. I’m an Acting Major at Montclair State University, and I realized that my major wasn’t quite doing it for me, so I wanted to get into visual arts, and I fell in love when I got a minor! And being here has only made my love for it grow, plus I have a realistic view of what I would be getting into. I didn’t need credits or anything, I just felt I needed the experience if I wanted to work in this field. 

In my time here, I’ve been working on social media for Aferro, construction and deconstruction for shows, and cataloging art. Seeing the wide array of art from Anne McKeown has inspired me to keep making art. Through all of that, I’ve learned some pretty useful arts-world skills that I hope I can keep using in the future. 

Most of all though, I have to say that my time here was the best because of the people and the environment they create. I wasn’t treated like the “new kid” who didn’t know anything – instead people just taught me what I needed to know for whatever we were working on. I always felt a welcoming environment. I felt like my input was valid to an entirely new group of strangers, who made me feel completely accepted. That was the best part! I was surrounded by art and people I liked being around. I feel like they got me. It felt like an ideal place for me and people like me. It gives me faith. I feel very encouraged right now to help artists get where they want to be. 

So thanks for making me want to work harder for this art world, people. I had a good summer. Hope to see y’all again soon. 

-Martin