Hello! My name is Abigail Guzman, and I’m a sophomore at LaGuardia Community College majoring in Fine Arts. I was born in the Philippines and grew up on the coasts of Ecuador. Growing up I was exposed to nature and wildlife, and that is why I work part time as an animal assistant. In fact, my first college try was animal science, but the major was not meant for me because deep in my heart I knew I wanted a career in the art field. My goal as an art major is to learn how to express my deep thoughts into any artistic output and share the message of caring for nature. I plan to continue my education at the School of Visual Arts, and then get a master’s degree in art conservation and restoration. Animals and nature are the usual themes found in my drawings, and I also do my own interpretation of characters from literature. I don’t limit myself to drawings or paintings. When an idea sparks, I tend to use whatever I can grab first or whatever materials I have around that I see useful such as drinking straws and old newspaper. So, there are a variety of art pieces found in my portfolio, but my specialty is graphite and charcoal.
On occasion, I experiment with different materials to see if my crafting interests will expand. Sometimes I crochet for 2 months straight or make a series of mini furniture for my cats. This is why the internship at AFAM caught my attention, I had no idea that many crafting skills such as crochet, tapestry, woodcarving and even furniture were considered folk art. It was a big surprise for me because where I grew up, we only recognized cultural and indigenous works as folk art. At AFAM, I hope to learn how to curate an exhibition, learn to identify folk art pieces, and especially how to conserve them so that I can apply the knowledge and share it to my hometown. Another dream of mine is to establish art appreciation and build a museum in the Islands featuring not just traditional art, but works made by local crafters as well.
The internship began on September 13, and I already found myself in awe even if half of the meetings were virtual. It is very different when you study art through an internship compared to studying from books because I get to analyze the pieces up close and learn the history from people who are already familiar with them. Insights from the professionals and opinions from my fellow interns will help me understand how other people interpret the artwork. Some of my favorite works from the AFAM collection are the miniature pieces of furniture. They are fascinating because of the fine details the artists put into the design, especially the animals in Michael Rothloff’s Bed. I appreciate the fact that the artist created the necessary parts a life sized bed would have. If it wasn’t for the description next to the photos, I would have mistaken these as life sized. I’m sure if I saw them in person, I would be floored.
Museum Career Internship Program 