#exploringthearts

[baxarts]

2018/19 Exploring the Arts Intern at BAX

Going into BAX at first felt like a daunting thing because I had never interned anywhere before. I was extremely nervous to meet my mentor Fernando, because I didn’t know how receiving he was going to be to me. However, despite my nerves, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Fernando, and the BAX community were extremely friendly and accepting.

One of my biggest concerns with interning was how I would fit my prayer schedule with my internship schedule, and after I expressed my concerns with my mentor, he gladly booked a room for me to pray in. I’m extremely appreciative of the fact that those in BAX were so willing to go out of their way to accommodate to those who come from different backgrounds in order to make them at home.

While interning at BAX, I learned the fundamentals of using a computer program called Illustrator. With this program, I cut out pieces from one picture and combined it with another one. I also learned how to use certain tools like the mesh tool and paint brush to create depth to my digital drawings. Through illustrator, I created a winter poster for BAX that got put up all around the building.

Overall, BAX taught me that differences are meant to be celebrated. Individuality is what fuels the success of BAX and creativity allows for it to progress and grow. I truly loved working at BAX because it gave me a sense of belonging. I’m truly glad to have been a part of such a passionate and close knit family.

- Niha, Exploring the Arts Intern

[gabrielleminev]

Pietà 📷 @rusenminchev #tb #exploringtheart #Rome #Michaelangelo #Pieta #sculpture #JesusChrist #Mary #after #Crucifixion #renaissance #art #StPeter #bassilica #VaticanCity #traveling #exploring #RusenMinchev #GoldGrippin #GabrielleMinev #vsco #Italy (at St. Peter's Basilica)

[writeword61]

Really enjoyed community reception at #somoslaarte 3541 E. 1st Street. Great art, good people, good food. #homeboyindustries newest addition, the Homeboy Art Academy. Bravo to Fabian Debora, his wife Elizabeth and the whole team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Support for UTLA is support for teachers, counselors, social workers, librarians, nurses and public education. UTLA employees don’t get to pay into Social Security. We rely on districts and the state to keep their promises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wearela #losangeles #utlastrong #red4ed #ournewdealfored #westchesterca #@wearecta @neatoday @hawkins.alumni @hawkins_hs @alumni_hawkins @hawkins.cheer @hawkins_alumni @hawkins_seniors2020 @hawkins_green @somos_la_arte #somoslaarte #blackfamily #blackfamilylove #black #onelove #onelove❤️ #mixedbabies #mixedboys #mixedgirls #mixedfamily #mixedfamilylove #latinxart #latina #latin #latinas #latinx #latino #latinos #exploringthearts #art #artsed #artist #artwork #artistsoninstagram #painting #paintings #canvaspainting #canvasart #canvaspaintings #eastla #fathergregboyle #fathergregoryboyle #fatherg #doloresmission #doloresmissionschool (at East Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B13_WMuB1K7uBmL_voU5MUWXaZIvrO17N4_zT00/?igshid=17v6reu1wf1dl

[luckysmylerbeauty]

by @uzoaduba "Super thanks to @ccgotstyle @gmodeste and @luckysmyler for getting me all dolled up! #grateful #popsugar #AP #Exploringthearts" via @InstaReposts. IT WAS MY PLEASURE! cc: @kohgendo @makeupforeverofficial @imancosmetics

[baxarts]

2016 Exploring The Arts Summer Intern @ BAX – Jacob Emiliano

Jacob came to us with a strong interest in comic books. So we worked on designing the 2016 Open House poster as a comic book cover. After a few weeks of research, we were not making a lot of progress. It took us some time to figure each other out and come to an understanding of how to work together. 

What finally brought us together? A spirited discussion about the “Save Martha” scene in the Superman V Batman movie, which lead to a deep conversation around feedback and aesthetics. After that, we knew we could be frank with each other and not take it personally, which after all, is the cornerstone of a good collaborative team. To top it all off he came up with a fabulous design that we were proud to display throughout the neighborhood. 

In this photo, Jacob explains the various color choices for his design. 

– Fernando Maneca, Marketing & Communications Director

[baxarts]

2017/18 Exploring The Arts Intern @ BAX — Kanwal Afzal

I loved interning at BAX. 

BAX provided me with opportunities I’ve never experienced before. When I first started off at BAX I was doing more administrative tasks like updating the website. Fernando even helped me to pick up some basic HTML coding. It was very interesting to learn how the websites we use every day actually function. It was something very new to me but thanks to my mentor I was able to quickly learn my way around. 

BAX was my first ever internship and so my first time sitting behind a computer at a desk and listening to commands. It was a wonderful real-life experience. It was preparing me for life after high school. 

Later on, during my time at BAX, I began to focus on designing. Although I had designed before, at school and in my free time, I was able to learn very important techniques from Fernando. These were skills that any real designer needed to know (like color combinations and spacing). Fernando was always very patient and ready to teach me new techniques and then re-teach the techniques. I was able to give back to BAX by designing signage and postcards. However, it was while designing the fall open house poster that I was really able to fully utilize everything I learned. I worked hard on putting together something that represented my way of designing. I was very satisfied with the work I created under Fernando’s supervision. My time at BAX was an all-around learning experience that could not have possibly been recreated anywhere else!

– Kanwal Afzal

[baxarts]

2017 Exploring The Arts Summer Intern @ BAX – Abier Saleh

Interning at BAX was such a fun and cool learning experience. 

The environment at BAX was welcoming and kind and before I even knew everyone’s name I was greeted with friendly hellos from everyone I passed. I  met people I didn't even work with and I got to know them and their work.

Fernando and Melanie told me stories about themselves and their experiences and made me feel like an employee at BAX even in the small amount of time that I have worked there. Even just sitting and doing work. I hear the laughter and screams of the NanoBAXers and their counselors and it's always so entertaining to hear! 

I only had had a small amount of knowledge about Photoshop and how to work with images online to get a cool outcome, but working at BAX this summer have learned so much more. I even learned to work with such apps as Illustrator and InDesign! Initially, I was unsure of how my work would come out. Seeing all the masterpieces for the Open House, I was nervous that I would not have something I could be proud of. However, as the weeks progressed I started to think of what I could incorporate into my design to make it publishable and amazing. I drew multiple drawings before I came to the one I chose. I thought of being in the City of New York, and the location of BAX, and how it could all come together. Then I came to find the essence of New York, as silly as it may seem, Public Transportation. It all became clear. All around me in NY are busy streets and cars full of people. As this idea came about, I noticed that I should stop drawing numerous bland ideas and take time to pursue one spectacular idea. As I drew this sketch onto a board, I showed it to Fernando and he said, "This has a lot of potential." Just this small sentence filled me with so much excitement and energy, that all those thoughts of having a bad poster design completely dissipated. 

As the poster design progressed I started to think of how I could incorporate my own touch to the poster. So I thought of the various art forms I had studied in school, painting, jewelry making, photography. That last one stuck. I wanted to take a photo of the BAX building and be able to use it for the poster. Fernando helped do just that. We took various photos of the building and finally chose one that fit well. With this photo, everything started to come together. I opened the photo in Photoshop and got to work. Later I imported the photo into Illustrator to turn it into a drawing and then used InDesign to bring it all together.

– Abier Saleh

[baxarts]

Shacaari McDonald interned at BAX through Exploring The Arts Inc, during the 2015/16 school year.

This past weekend Fernando Maneca (BAX's Marketing & Communications Director) went to LIU Brooklyn to see the gallery opening of #‎YOUTHing‬, featuring the work of truly exceptional young artists. Their talent and radiance made possible through a program at MoCADA Museum. (Check them out. They're awesome.)

Shacaari not only presented her art, she designed the postcard for the show!!! Congratulations Shacaari!!! You continue to amaze us.

[baxarts]

A close up of Genesis Blanco’s 2015 Youth Education Open House poster design. 

[baxarts]

Summer 2015 Exploring The Arts (ETA) Intern @ BAX — Genesis Blanco

Part 3 of a series of interviews with High School Design Interns from Exploring the Arts about their experiences working on BAX’s annual Youth Education Open House poster. 

Fernando, Melanie, and Janine made this internship a fun learning experience and I'm happy to have spent my summer at BAX. I learned a lot of different software and tools to better my work and push my skills further ahead toward finding a good career path. 

Everyone who I had the pleasure of being introduced to has taught me something new and I am eternally grateful for all the guidance I was given. I came in expecting to just design a poster and that's it. I never thought I'd be helping design a poster, an animated gif, backpack mail and several other forms of advertisements. 

One of my favorite things about the job was hearing all the kids enjoying their summer as well. All the scavenger hunts and games they'd play was always entertaining to watch. We enjoyed the little visits we'd get get every now and then from one of the BAX nanos. I had a great time at BAX and I'm sad to be going but I look forward to seeing what next years design intern will do with the 2016 Fall Open House poster, but for now I am happy to share my work with everyone and hope you'll be at the open house this fall on September 12th.

Sincerely, Genesis Blanco

[baxarts]

Summer 2012 Exploring The Arts (ETA) Intern @ BAX — Perla Herrera

Part 2 of a series of interviews with High School Design Interns from Exploring the Arts about their experiences working on BAX’s annual Youth Education Open House poster. 

When I interned at BAX I remembered being nervous since it was my first time interning, so I didn’t know what to expect. Meeting Fernando was quite unexpected since his personality was fun and funny which calmed my nerves a little.  Whenever I would have trouble designing or working with Photoshop he would help me in any way possible. This helped me a lot especially during that time. I was studying to be an illustrator and not a designer. BAX gave me an insight of what I could expect if I was working as a designer which made me want to study in this area at college. 

The part I remember the most while designing my poster was the whole concept around it. I wanted to show the “fun” that was happening all around the building. You could hear all the noise and excitement of the kids. Since I was inexperienced in graphic design I tried to make it more illustrative. I was also interested in street art at the time so I decided to make the BAX logo fit more into the concept, because I felt that “street” is where art and inspiration comes from and it reminded me of Brooklyn. I also wanted it to have a more kid feeling to it, which would influence the rest of the poster. Although now I would probably make a few changes I was satisfied with how it looked for my first time making this for BAX.

As of right now I am studying communication design at Parsons the New School of Design (@thenewschool). I still do some illustration work but I am learning new things about Typography, InDesign, code, etc. Although I still struggle a bit from time to time I am enjoying the new experiences. 

I would definitely recommend interning at BAX through Exploring the Arts internship, especially if they want to have a fun, stress free learning experience. Plus they would be able to add their own genre of music in Fernando’s Pandora playlist. ☺

Sincerely, Perla Herrera