Meet Kate Cross, one of our amazing new interns on staff at the Van Every/Smith Galleries!
Kate Cross is a Junior at Davidson College from Durham, North Carolina. Kate is currently studying Art History, and studied abroad in Rome, Italy this past semester.
Learn more about Kate:
Why did you want to intern at the art gallery?
“Interning at the gallery is such a great opportunity to discover in the inner workings of the art world before graduation. I also have loved going to every gallery show the last few years and wanted to be involved!”
Who is your favorite artist? Why?
“I don’t know that I have a true favorite so I’ll rattle off a few. I love Titus Kaphar’s TedTalks, the skies of JMW Turner, Anila Agha’s sculptural work, and so many works by Wangechi Mutu, Claude Monet, Cristina Quarles, Firelei Báez, and many more. I love getting so see so many different types of self-expression. Pretty much any piece of art has some place in my heart that way.”
What is your earliest memory of art?
“I was a prolific artist as a kid — my parents discovered one of the easiest ways to keep me happy was to just sit me down with markers and a stack of paper. We still keep a lot of them in a big binder at home, so sometimes I look through them and am reminded of the time I tried to illustrate the entire story of Snow White.”
Favorite piece of art on campus?
“I love the Zanele Muholi piece in Wall. All of her portraiture just amazes me! I also like a student-made mural-like piece that hangs in the Sustainability Office (my other job). It’s fun and colorful and nice to pass by most days and take in new details.”
While you were abroad, did you see a certain piece of art or museum exhibition that inspired you? Why?
“I’ve always loved Caravaggio and his wielding of light, so a good friend and I made it our mission to see every publicly accessibly Caravaggio painting in Rome. I think there are 24 in total, and we got to them all over the course of a few months! It was incredible to get to see really famous, brilliant works in person. That proximity definitely added to the dramatic atmosphere in a way I couldn’t have predicted before going abroad. It was such a cool opportunity!”
Is there anything from your abroad experience that you would like to apply to your time at the art galleries this semester?
“Thinking of visual art as an intentional piece of everyday life! For a long time, I thought of the two as separate, but since being abroad I’ve realized just how connected the human condition is to any and all art, and the way we’re always interacting with art, whether it be music, furniture, the way a wall is painted, visiting museums and galleries, or even just plain studying it like me. I definitely want to bring that attitude towards working in the galleries this semester!”
What are you most excited to do this semester in the art gallery (or in art in general)?
“I’m excited to see more of Davidson’s collection, first off! Also, as someone interested in museum education, I can’t wait to learn more about the gallery’s public outreach, and to see everyone that comes by this semester!”
Feel free to come chat with Kate or any of our other interns Monday-Friday from 10-5 and Saturday-Sunday from 12-4.