For Cara Schmidlein ’25, the value of a summer internship at Olympia Gallery was as much in exploring the people and places of New York as working among the exhibits.
Located in the city's Lower East Side, Cara worked one-on-one with Olympia’s owner, Ali Rossi, gaining professional experience ranging from organizing the gallery's inventory to communicating directly with artists and fairs. Olympia’s main exhibit this summer featured multi-layered collages by Kako Ueda. During Cara’s internship, the gallery also collaborated on an international scale, hosting works with Contemporary Art Now, a fair in Ibiza, Spain.
She scoured the neighborhood's vibrant art, music, and fashion scene before and after work. “I was introduced to so many creatives: painters, designers, hair stylists, tattoo artists, art handlers, models, and photographers.”
Even right outside the gallery was an artist who painted the garages of nearby businesses, including Olympia Gallery, and who became a valued connection for Cara.
Throughout the summer, Cara made friends and built a diverse professional network. This revealed the variety of ways she could use an art degree and the values it instills for future success. Cara is confident that these relationships will continue after graduation and hopes they will help her return to the Lower East Side.
“If not for summer funding, this experience would not have been possible and I would not have learned all that I did about the world of creatives, including myself,” Cara said. “I hope to continue to explore and be inspired by New York City — it was truly the most beautiful and rich experience I have ever had.”
vlog and its generous alumni and parent donors offer grants to support students’ living costs and supplemental expenses to pursue unpaid and underpaid summer experiences. Learn more about vlog summer funding.