By Maddie O’Shea
Contributing Writer

KU’s art building, Sharadin, houses many opportunities for students to showcase art, intern and volunteer. With Sharadin’s three galleries, students can easily get involved.

Each gallery—the Miller Gallery, Atrium Gallery and the New Media Gallery (formerly known as The Student Gallery)—centers on different types of exhibits. The Miller Gallery is a professional space where successful pieces from artists are stored and shown. The Atrium Gallery holds large, solo student exhibits as well as class projects. The New Media Gallery is a space dedicated to digital and video works. There are also smaller galleries located in the McFarland Student Union building; these spaces are reserved for students and community members to have smaller solo or group shows.

Typically, during each semester, two student workers are in charge of managing the three galleries in the MSU.

As interns, students can get hands-on experience in the galleries. Responsibilities may include managing the calendar and installation of exhibitions in the Student Union building. However, gallery director Karen Stanford said in the past, interns had the opportunity to write and design catalogs and work with resident artists or high school art award exhibitions.

In order to apply, students interested in interning have to discuss placement options with their internship coordinator. Stanford, for instance, only takes one to two interns a year. Paid positions are also available. They open up at the end of the semester once graduating students are taken into consideration.

Other opportunities to get involved in the galleries include volunteering. The Artist in Residence program, which features a large sculpture installation, is a chance to work one on one with an artist. Volunteers work to assemble a large scale project together. Volunteers are also needed for the High School Scholastic Art Awards that takes place in March.

“Our High School Scholastic Arts Awards is another time where we need lots of help since we usually hang over 400 pieces of work,” said Stanford.

Along with work, internship and volunteer opportunities, Sharadin always has opening receptions and artist lectures.

“If students are interested in having a career in galleries or museums or are interested in being an exhibiting artist, they should try to stop into as many exhibitions and receptions as possible,” said Stanford.

An Artist in Residence installation “HYPOSTYLE,” by John Cunningham, is currently on display in the Miller Gallery. It will close on Nov. 10. The next exhibition within the Miller Gallery will open on Nov. 21. The showcased artist is Rodrigo Valenzuela, who is a professor of photography at UCLA. He will be sharing video and photo-based works.

In the Atrium Gallery, an upcoming exhibit is opening on Nov. 5 and will showcase students who went to Italy last summer with the Department of Art’s study abroad trip and created art based on their experiences.

The MSU will have solo exhibitions by students Josh Gonzalez, Lauryn Teti, Jess Todero, Olivia Miller, Leah Slemmer and many more.

“If students are interested in signing up for solo exhibitions in any of these spaces, there will be a table sign up from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the lower lobby of Sharadin,” said Stanford.

Other upcoming exhibitions are printed in the KU Arts Calendar.