Graduation & Commencement Exhibition 2009

so, i graduated from college! i now officially have a bachelors of fine arts in art history, with concentrations in printmaking and curatorial studies. while it has not yet landed me a job, i feel confident that it will. or at least that by getting it, i have achieved one of my dreams and am proud of myself for doing so. mica gave me an amazing education in art, and my four years there were profound, growth-inspiring, and world/art view-broadening. as well as fun, of course!

cityscapes: senior show 2009 sarah elek

i also, naturally, took part in the senior show, aka the commencement exhibition. mica's seniors show their artwork in the galleries as well as the halls-and-classrooms-turned-into-galleries and the entire school becomes one big gallery. my work was in the bunting center, on the back wall by the elevators, and it was great because a) you could see it, straight in front of you, from the front doors and b) i got a lot of space and it was like my own little gallery in itself. i was super psyched to find that people actually like my artwork!- i sold most of it! it was flattering and humbling, and unexpectedly very inspiring. actually selling work makes me feel like going home and making more work, unlike sitting in a classroom and listening to 20 people criticize it, which just makes me want to quit making art and do something a little easier, like answering phones or something (just kidding- being critiqued doesn't make me feel like that, not all the time- but still, enough years doing nothing but taking constructive criticism of your artwork can make you forget why you make art in the first place and that some people out there might actually like it- and even buy it). i was very happy with the show overall, and it was also very exciting to see all my friends' artwork- if i had an extra $300 or so, i would have bought one of hayley's dresses in a heartbeat (my friend and former roommate, hayley griffin, is destined to be a famous designer one day- her screenprinted dresses, with images of lobster fishing in maine and extremely flattering & demure cuts, are deeply desirable).

random lady checking out one of hayley's dresses

so now the saga is over, and i am enjoying life as a post-grad. i am still trying to figure out exactly what i'm doing with my life, but for now i am doing great- i have 3 jobs with which to pay the bills, and i am a working and showing artist. i can't wait till schooltime rolls around, and I DON'T HAVE TO GO!!! YAY!!! that is when it will probably really set in that it really did happen and really is finally over.