Nikki Grona can’t believe her eyes.  In a few short days, she has already visited many galleries in New York and has seen many works of art she has only studied in books.  She is one of five students selected from several universities for the New York Visual Arts Intensive program managed through The Ohio Wesleyan University. Southwestern is a member of the consortium, the Great Lakes College Association, that regularly sends students to the semester-long New York internship program and, now, their newly-minted short course. “The 4-week intensive offers undergraduate and post-baccalaureate studio and art history students an opportunity to gain perspectives that will enrich their research and creative work. Students in the program explore New York’s diverse art world through visits to artists’ studios, workspaces, museums, and galleries and engage in dialogue with artists, curators, and educators. Research/writing/sketchbook assignments round out each week’s course content. The session culminates in a virtual exhibition project that students develop collaboratively.”
 
“This class has already opened so many opportunities for me”, Nikki says.  In less than a week into the program, she has been offered an internship with jewelry designer Bliss Lau.  “We can’t wait to see what she will do with this whirlwind arts experience,” says her major professor Star Varner. “Students always return from New York with terrific energy and enthusiasm. I can tell from Nikki’s e-mails that she will put it to good use.”