Katie Boyer – who is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Austin Peay State University and last year earned APSU’s inaugural Hazel Smith Summer Research Fellowship – will be a gallery assistant for Chautauqua Visual Arts (CVA) Galleries through the beginning of August.
Boyer joined the CVA team in early June, and her responsibilities include working with staff to install and remove exhibitions, helping in the CVA Craft Gallery, and packing and shipping artwork.
CVA is part of the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, and is centered on four pillars (School of Art, Galleries, Lecture Series & Events, and Enrichment).
Boyer is the first Austin Peay State University student to spend the summer at Chautauqua since Khari Turner and Ashanté Kindle earned residencies at the School of Art in 2019.
“I have also never done anything quite like this before,” Boyer said. “The traveling experience alone is something I have never done by myself, and it is just as thrilling – and nerve-wracking – as the internship.
“This is a big milestone for me and my future, and I can’t wait to see what all it has in store for me,” she added.
Boyer’s internship is courtesy of the Center of Excellence for the Creative Artsausi and the Six Talents Foundation.
She’s also thankful for APSU’s Michael Dickins, who has guided her through major projects at APSU – such as establishing an online database of the university’s art collection – since the fall of 2020. Dickins is curator and director of The New Gallery and University Collections at Austin Peay.
“This opportunity would not have been possible without him,” Boyer said. “He was the one who introduced this position to me and who really advocated for me being here.”
During the internship, she’s looking forward to opening nights of the gallery’s exhibitions and installing and removing the exhibits.
“It’s very rewarding to see an exhibition complete and to see people’s reactions to the works,” she said. “The physical labor that goes into putting an exhibition together is one of my favorite parts because you get to be up close and personal with all the amazing artworks. It is very fulfilling to see all that hard work pay off when the exhibition is completely installed.”
After Boyer returns to Clarksville in August, she’ll complete her senior year at Austin Peay State University. She’s also eager to have “an amazing final marching band season” with the Governors Own Marching Band and creating her senior graphic design showcase.
“My goal is to make this last year at Austin Peay the best one yet.”