From Textbook to Travel by Leah

From Textbook to Travel by Leah - August 2016 Scholarship Essay

I will never forget my first day in Mrs. Dershimer's AP Art History class. Gazing around the classroom filled with trinkets, posters, painted ceiling tiles, and walls full of books, I felt like I was among an ornamented dream. I was not enrolled in this class a week prior when school began, but after my curiosity brought me to join the Art History Club, Mrs. Dershimer, the club's sponsor, pulled some strings and rearranged my schedule to ensure that I was an AP Art History student. I instantly admired Mrs. Dershimer's passion and energy for the arts, her unique, bohemian style, and her funky personality. When class begun, I felt as if my high school's elite collection of intellectuals all gathered together to study art history. The articulate critiques spoken by my peers and the distinguished manner of picking out every little detail in the art stunned me. I did not have enough paper for the notes I wanted to take.

Up until I signed up for this class, I was typically a shy student. As the year progressed, I gained a voice in the art world, participating in almost every discussion with the class. I gained an eloquent style of speaking, my writing style heavily improved due to constant essay writing, and my heart and brain were addicted to studying art history. We labeled over 500 artists, styles, titles, medium, and dates and were assigned to memorize all of the above. Our class discovered and tested art techniques and listened to lectures in every class. I gained organizational skills, the ability to find detail in even the simplest piece, and studying techniques that would follow me to college. AP Art History was not for the faint of heart. You had to push yourself to succeed and to do that, you had to love the subject.

To further my education in this field, I became extremely active in the Art History Club. It led me to be social and have long term friends who also were addicted to this soul nourishing hobby. We frequented basilicas, Greek Orthodox churches, chalk festivals, museums, and made parade floats. We planned a trip to New York City where we thoroughly visited seven museums. The Metropolitan Museum, the MoMA, and the Brooklyn Museum were the most influential to me. I gazed among a plethora of masterpieces and exercised my brain through critiques and comments in my notebook. I remember seeing my first Chuck Close painting and becoming speechless over his hyperrealism and overwhelmed with jealousy for his skill.

I left high school with a strong desire to continue my education in Art History. Soon, I was introduced to the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College where I was quickly hired as a Gallery Sitter for the Matisse as Printmaker collection. Here, I studied Matisse's work and the literature provided to lead guests on tours throughout the gallery. I worked full-time in this peaceful, creative setting and enjoyed every minute of it. Later on, I was promoted to work in Installation of 3 galleries where I was lucky enough to curate my own collection of watchkeys from the 16th-19th centuries.

Leaving this as my legacy at the museum, I prepared myself for my next step in higher education. I enrolled as a student at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy where I applied to major in Art History. Living among all the art and monuments I studied extensively in my textbooks was an invigorating whirlwind. I made daily trips to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum while taking in the grandeur architecture and rugged cobblestone. I took courses in art history, participating in weekend trips to Pompeii and Florence, while also studying studio art. I realized that my true desire and career path was in creating and designing my own artwork. After an enchanting year in Europe, building up a portfolio and gaining artistic skills, I decided to pursue a BFA degree and say goodbye to the gallery world.

Now, I am a student at the Savannah College of Art & Design with aspirations of being a Walt Disney Imagineer. I have completed two internships with the Walt Disney Company and plan on incorporating my love of art history and my digital art skills to create attractions, lands, and resorts for families to use as a setting for their memories. My knowledge of styles and time periods further qualify me to create a more authentic atmosphere for the guests.

Overall, art history has nourished my soul and simultaneously encouraged me to move to Rome, further breaking the threshold between me and the art world. It paved the path for me to find my true calling, while blessing me with verbal and written eloquence. I gained my sense of articulation, my passion for traveling, and a drive to chase an artistic lifestyle through Mrs. Dershimer’s AP Art History class.