My Time Here At Shango. Christmas 2018

Time here at Shango.

I immediately called my mom as a drove off from my first day as an intern.  The overreaction went a little like this:

Hey honey! How was your …

Mom, I LOVE MY NEW INTERNSHIP! It’s so cool. I am surrounded by art, my boss is so nice, and I am going to learn so much about the art world! I am going to network, and gain experiences and I am SO EXCITED!

. . .

Classes, life, past two-bit-jobs, .. Nothing could have prepared me for the positive experience I have had as an Intern here at Shango. The amount of knowledge that I have gained over my last 6 months here is something I will always treasure. As my last day approaches I can’t help but think about my first day.

With no expectations and an urge to learn, on that first day I found myself walking into an office and immediately buried under disorganized files. My first task was to organize 8 drawers of files. Not knowing how or even what these files were about I set out to accomplish my task; Opening every file one by one and sorting them out. I looked up from the paper in my hand and focused on one of the thousands of tribal art books that lined the wall. In that moment I saw what an opportunity I had before me. Not realizing it at the time, this task gave me a small peak at how John Buxton’s businesses operate and the number of clients he has gained over his 40+ years in the business. Museums, organizations, Private individuals: Looking through these files I caught a glimpse at the reach he had.

At the end of my day I walk to John Buxton’s office and strike up a conversation about my future, my dreams, and what I hope to accomplish. Little did I know that this one conversation would shape my entire internship.

Sitting in that I office I talked about how I had no idea what I wanted to do. All I knew is that I loved studio art, I dream of working abroad, and that my knowledge of the of the art industry was limited.  That day I told him that “I wanted to gain as many experiences as I could that would help me in my future search for a career path.” He said, “okay we will do that”, we said our good byes I went to my car and called my mom.

Out of my 6 months interning I have gotten just that and more.  My day to day duties included; Photography, art appraisal and research, creating the newsletter, updating the blog, visiting museums, sitting in with clients, and auction cataloging. Not only did I learn about John Buxton’s Appraisal and Gallery businesses I was able to network with many people who opened my eyes to the amount of opportunities I had before me. Talking with so many people about their personal career path is the what allowed me to gain a holistic view of the industry and set my expectations for any future job that I pursue.

My last day is sneaking up, as I reflect on my first day. I can’t help but think what my future holds. Graduation is on the horizon -6 months away- and the next thing I do is up in the air. Full time job, grad school, living under a bridge, it’s all possible. This internship has given me experiences and knowledge that I will be able to build from for years to come. It is the greatest gift I could have asked form during the Christmas season. Thank you to all who has had an impact on my journey to a happy and thriving career. A special thanks to John Buxton and the doors that you have opened and the wonderful experiences I have had working here at Shango. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

-Emily Duffy