Shelby Galambos (Class of 2020)
Blogger Role: Arts Administration
Major: Arts Administration
Minor: Art History
Shelby Galambos is a Junior Arts Administration major. When she’s not blogging for Where Creativity Works, she’s traveling, studying art, taking pictures, or enjoying time with loved ones. Learn more about Shelby here.
I chose Marywood because when I was first prospecting schools, I was astonished with their interior architecture program. The program appeared to be cutting edge and versatile. Due to some fundamental differences, however, I opted out of the program and had no idea what to do next. As I combed through the program of studies with Advising and Retention, Arts Administration really caught my eye. Mainly I was interested in learning what it even was, but Dr. Irwin set me up with a semester of sample courses and I fell in love.
I am majoring in art because the intentions and utility behind it fascinates me. I was always drawn to trying to learn how to make art as a kid, but my senior year in high school is when I really sparked the fire within me. Freshmen year at Marywood I took my first art history course and instantly fell in love. Ever since, I have been traveling to various art museums and finding myself fascinated and bewildered about the story and universality of art.
When I’m not in class, I’m usually researching, planning more trips, or reading letters by Vincent van Gogh. For example, last year we traveled to Cleveland and Syracuse to see art museums (among other activities). This winter we will be traveling to Harrisburg for some historic holiday fun, as well as Rhode Island and Massachusetts to go museum hopping. As for the Vincent van Gogh letters, he is one of my absolute favorite historical figures. Not only was he fascinatingly unique in his artwork, but he was astonishingly intriguing as a person and I love to read his thoughts.
My favorite art class so far was Art History II. My art history courses are always my favorite, but Art History II in particular because my favorite styles of art are the Renaissance periods, post-impressionism, and romanticism.
The coolest thing I’ve done at Marywood is my internship with the Maslow Collection. In my first three weeks, I was able to handle artwork from famous artists such as Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. From day one I was able to assist hands-on with the installment of a new show for the gallery, which was truly an amazing experience.
When I graduate, I plan to move closer to Philadelphia and pursue a curation position, preferably at a museum rather than a gallery. I find that galleries are usually rather impermanent with their collections and constantly changing. I would much rather be in an environment where I can really create a bond between myself my work. Plus, I would much rather be an expert on a limited amount of works than an amateur on indefinite numbers of works. As for Philadelphia, I visited as a tourist for the first time about two years ago and my heart just felt at home.
I’d recommend the Art program at Marywood because all of the faculty in the art department are truly outstanding. Every faculty member I’ve worked with has been wonderful on helping me with my individual needs, wants, and goals. I was very deterred from college entirely after my first semester, but with the help of advising and retention as well as Dr. Irwin, my faith in my future was restored and I couldn’t be more excited to finish my courses and pursue my dreams.