By Katie Springer, summer arts program intern at Pine Meadow Ranch
From the start of my internship at Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture (PMRCAA), I could tell this was a special place. The ranch is a versatile space with staff to support art programs, grant programs, and 260-acres of working land, in addition to hosting resident artists for 8 months out of the year. As the summer arts intern, I had the opportunity to work with the local arts community, which was so welcoming.
During my internship, I created posters, a map of the ranch’s outdoor art collection, pages on the website, countless QR codes and art name plates, as well as organized open studio events, became friends with artists in residence, and am in the process of finishing my own art installation for the ranch.
One of my ongoing projects this summer has been poster design for events and programs hosted by PMRCAA. I’ve learned to use digital design software to bring my own creative flair to the promotion of our events. If you were ever wondering who made a PMRCAA poster you’ve seen recently, now that mystery is solved! In many of these projects, QR codes have been needed. Before this internship, I had only ever used a QR code, never made one myself! Long story short, I am now called the “QR code queen” around the office.
Since the intersection of art and agriculture is a main focus here at PMRCAA, there are hundreds of art pieces that have been collected over the past two decades of The Roundhouse Foundation’s history. My primary project this summer was to catalog and create a page on the website where all this wonderful art could be accessed, which turned out to be quite a lengthy process. I started off photographing all the art and gathering information about each piece. Now, at the end of the summer, all that information lives under a tab of our website for anyone to browse – which I suggest you do, as there are amazing pieces here!
With that experience, I now have the useful skill of navigating WordPress under my belt. I’ve been creating name plates to go next to each physical piece, including a QR code linking directly back to that piece on the website which contains more information.
In collaboration with 2022 resident artist Hilary Pfiefer, I’ve created a binder map of all the outside art pieces here at the ranch (QR codes are included in this project, too). This makes it easy to grab the binder and go on a DIY art-tour adventure.
Being an arts intern, I knew I needed to create my own piece to leave here at the ranch, which I am finishing up in the final days of my internship. It is a piece that is functional for agricultural needs, while also incorporating my love for geology. In the PMRCAA garden, we have lush hops, but they have nothing to grow upward on, which is how hops thrive. I decided to amend that by decorating a large picture frame with staples, and adding chicken wire to the frame to give a window effect. I’ve been collecting rocks throughout my time here and wanted to display how unique they are, so I’ve been attaching them to the chicken wire, and adding shapes and designs for extra flair. Once finished, it will be an outside art installation at headquarters!
I have learned many practical and life skills during my internship, including working as part of a team, organizing events, time management, WordPress, and digital design. I’m so grateful to have gained a sense of community with all the wonderful people and art here at the ranch. I am beyond grateful to have experienced the beauty of the PMRCAA space and contribute my own skills in helping further the arts and agriculture presence in our community.
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Summer internships like Katie’s occur annually at Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture (PMRCAA). The Summer Program Intern engages with visiting artists, community groups and other visitors and events at PMRCAA. In addition, they have the opportunity to work closely with the Ranch Operations team to assist with on-property projects including native plant programs, regenerative agriculture activities and unique facility development. Future internship opportunities will be posted annually in the spring.
