Senior studio art major works with local curator during summer internship

Kaleb Sanchez ’26, a studio art major at The College of Wooster, used a Micro Fellowship to intern locally in Wooster, Ohio, at an art gallery. The new exhibition, called the William Gallery and MJ Studios, focuses its curation on local art talent and fosters community engagement. Sanchez worked on the planning and promotion of art shows, including creating flyers and managing social media marketing, as well as learned more about behind-the-scenes of nonprofits, including the financial and community aspects, throughout his Micro Fellowship. 

“This internship has made me understand the importance of growing where I am planted, as well as taking complete advantage of artist resources in a given area for better outward growth.” 

—Kaleb Sanchez ’26

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES

Sanchez: I learned about the internship opportunity through a show opening at Grigio Wine and Cocktail Bar, in which I met Mike Jackson, the supervisor of William Gallery and MJ Studios, for the first time. It was here that I was offered an opportunity to work with Mike as an intern in downtown Wooster. I was made aware of a Micro-Fellowship opportunity through The College of Wooster APEX office and applied this to the offer which was extended by Mike.

LESSONS LEARNED

Sanchez: I most enjoyed learning about the technical aspects of maintaining a gallery space, as well as opening and closing shows. It was very fulfilling to learn about the amount of work which goes into these aspects of art curation. Each day of the internship, I was given a new assignment to help me learn about the individual artists within a show, as well as complete outreach communications for networking purposes. Alongside the curation aspect of the experience, I found myself to have a well-rounded set of new skills.

GUIDANCE FOR GROWTH

Mike Jackson acted as a mentor for Sanchez during the summer. Photo provided by subject.

Sanchez: Mike Jackson, the owner of William Gallery, was my mentor and supervisor for the experience. Mike was incredibly supportive and involved in making sure I learned about the inner workings of an art gallery space, as well as assigned work to further hone my networking skills. Additionally, Mike was flexible and available when met with challenges that affected my internship experience.

WHAT’S NEXT

Sanchez: This internship has made me understand the importance of growing where I am planted, as well as taking complete advantage of artist resources in a given area for better outward growth. This experience has strengthened my relationship with art, and I foresee myself pushing further with my career as an independent artist for both personal fulfillment and job prospects.

Featured image: Kaleb Sanchez ’26 learned useful skills related to preserving art pieces. Photo provided by subject.

Posted in Experiential Learning, Showcase Stories 2025 on August 6, 2025.