Meeting, meetings, & more meetings!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, things have just been so crazy. This is what's been going on...

This internship is turning out to be much more than I could ever expected. It feels much more like a job than an internship. The responsibility that Dayna has given me is a little scary but I think it's good. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people and network in a way that I never would have if I hadn't been given this position.

My big project that I've been putting most of my time and effort towards is still the Health Fair. Some days I feel like I never really stop working because I am thinking about it and emailing and talking on the phone about it even when I am not in the office. I have weekly meetings with a consultant that is helping me with details of the Health Fair, I don't know what I would do without her! The event is coming together pretty nicely, it is frustrating when I make phone calls and send emails that people do not respond to. I've had to be a little pushy to get people involved. I am really hoping that the event ends up being a success. I know that I've put in the work, I'm just not getting the kind of response that I should. I think some people are unsure about it because it's never been done before in this area.

I'm also working on another new event called The Fargo Art Marathon. The idea behind the Fargo Art Marathon is to create an exciting buzz around the artistic and cultural events leading up to the marathon—a sort of how much art and culture can you “endure” theme. What’s your art stamina? Do you have 26 days of art and culture in you? It will begin April 23 and last for the 26 days and end on May 18 which is the running of the Fargo Marathon. This program will include any and all arts and cultural events happening in that 26-day period and will be marketed underneath the umbrella of The Fargo Art Marathon. This program is a collaboration between Catalyst Medical and The Arts Partnership. My job to coordinate the events that the Partners have going on during this time and to get the information out to the public. 

Not only have I been given  a great deal of responsibility with these events but I have been let into the inter workings of The Arts Partnership. I am there as support for Dayna and she has needed that the last few weeks. I would have never guessed all the politics that happen behind the scenes of a small non profit, but oh man...When dealing with a Board of Directors that has 11 people and an Executive Director with very strong opinions things can get very heated...

More to come....

No pressure....

Okay, I am in my fourth week here at The Arts Partnership and I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable. Not that I ever really felt uncomfortable, but at any rate I feel pretty good. That being said, Dayna has given me a project (a very big project) to organize. I am going to be the project coordinator for an event that TAP will be throwing in April. This is amazing opportunity for me to prove myself and show what I am capable of doing this kind of work.

This event is a first for TAP and the fact that I am the one in charge is a little scary but also very exciting. We have had a few really great meetings with another company that will serve as a consultant for this event. I also have some meetings set up for possible donors as well. This whole thing is really networking and getting the idea and myself out there talking about it and proving that it is a much needed service. I will go into a little more detail about what the event is and what the purpose for it is in a few weeks. I want things to be a bit more set in stone before I talk openly about it. For the time being, this will be my primary task while I am here at TAP. It is a lot of work and Dayna wants me to focus on this and make it  successful.

I have had opportunities to attend a few of TAP other events though which were very interesting and fun. The first was one of their monthly Lunch & Learns. It was at Trollwood Performing Arts School, which is one of the Primary Partners of TAP. The purpose of the lunch and learns is to promote Partners, so at this event not only did it promote TPAS but the speaker was also a Primary Partner. She is an artist, she discussed the kind of work that she does and then went on to explain the project that we were doing. That's right, I got to make art. What we did was look at a photo of Albert Einstein and we were urged to look at the photo upside down and try and see shapes. Then were were supposed to draw a portrait upside down. The idea here was that in doing these things after it was finished, you would be able to see a picture of Einstein. It really worked, most everybody did a great job and our pictures really did look the way they were supposed to look. It was a really fun evening.

I also got to attend the launch party for Artspulse, which is the online publication for TAP that basically gets the word out about upcoming events.This was also a great event because I was again, able to network and meet people that will may someday be looking to hire someone like me.

By far the best thing that has happened so far is the fact that Dayna, for only having known me for about a month, actually suggested me to one of her collegues at another non-profit as a new hire. We have been in contact but nothing is certain but the fact that she would go out on a limb for someone that she barely knows gives me great confidence that I am doing things right. Things really could not be going better!!

Uncharted Territory

Well, this week was my first week here at TAP. I am slowing getting acquainted with the inter workings of this organization and I am becoming a bit more comfortable. I have not done a whole lot of work yet (I have sent out a few emails and I have been reading and researching), but the real work is soon coming. I have been given the opportunity to work on a number of projects that are very exciting and are likely to be positive to the arts community here in the FM area.