Submitted by Jessica Ivey on the 2019 summer session program in England sponsored by the Department of Art & Design…
On Sunday, we arrived to Heathrow Airport with eager minds, but tired bodies. We got to our flats and unpacked as much as possible before hitting our heads to our pillows and napping. The first day was wonderful. I was filled with too much caffeine to function, but the delicious coffee was worth it. Tuesday brought about a wonderfully vibrant ex-Pentagram staff member who gave a wonderful description and workshop on Brand Strategy. On Wednesday, we were all exhausted from a long night of hanging out and watching the TV show Love Island, so it was difficult to manage to stay awake in the advertising agency we were brought to. Yet we kept our eyes as wide open as we could, and continued with our day of advertising, Hyde Park, and shopping at Harrods. On Thursday, we sat in our Art Worker’s Guild classroom with a bubbly freelance writer by the name of Wendy Scott. She gave us tips and tricks on how to write and it was very helpful to our learning for sure! Friday was wonderful in my book because we went to the Tate Modern Museum where we saw incredible works of art. One artist that really struck me was Nan Goldin, a photographer who captured the almost desperate lives of her friends around her. It was a beautiful exhibit. On Saturday, our group went to Portobello Market, which we did not expect to be so incredibly overwhelming. With each piece of vintage clothing, old camera, funky smelling food, and beautifully-dressed people, my contentment grew more and more. I absolutely loved being there. On Sunday, I finally got a day to breathe. The skies were cloudy, but it didn’t rain – thankfully – so I joined my project partner at a cute café called Half Cup and we finished our work together. The first week was already so magical, that I cannot wait to see what the rest of this program holds for me.