Category: Internships Blog (Page 2 of 2)

Date: October 20, 2025 | Location: New York City (remote internship with Prof. Sara Gomez Woolley)

As part of my internship with Professor Sara Gomez-Woolley, I’ve been developing hand-lettering studies for Esperancita’s Mostly True Memoir. The goal is to create lettering that fits naturally within her illustrations while reflecting the story’s 1940s Colombian setting. I explored three main directions: one inspired by mid-century sign painting, another with a more personal brushed-script feel, and a third that drew from South American hand-lettering traditions with a subtle modern influence.

Sara’s feedback was incredibly generous and detailed. She appreciated how closely I listened to her artistic references and how the letterforms I created felt consistent with her visual world. She especially liked the brushed-texture version, which we both agreed could integrate beautifully into curved compositions, like the clouds in one of the double-page spreads. She also mentioned the 1940s-inspired design could work nicely for character title pages, such as Ma Pina or Blanca, possibly in a ribbon layout. The only major concern she raised was readability—whether cursive or print would reproduce better once the book goes into production.

This process has been a real lesson in collaboration and restraint. It’s not just about making something that looks good on its own, but something that strengthens the narrative and feels authentic to the story’s time and place. I plan to refine the brushed-texture version further, testing how it works in smaller text and exploring how it interacts with other illustrated elements. This project is teaching me how lettering, when done right, becomes part of the storytelling rather than decoration.

Date: September 27, 2025 | Location: 176 St. Nicholas Ave, Brooklyn, NYC

On Saturday, September 27, I attended the ABC No Rio Zine Fest, a community-arts gathering centered around independent publishing and political expression. The event had an unmistakable antifascist vibe, which was right up my alley! It brought together artists and organizations whose values mirror my own understanding of art as resistance. Each table had its own handmade zines, prints, and posters from different activist groups and up-and-coming artists from around NYC. The room was alive with conversation. Everything felt immediate with the violent actions and threats of the Trump administration at the forefront of our minds. We had a shared purpose and the sense that creativity could still challenge power.

This event held personal meaning because I am now an official featured artist with the zine anthology World War 3 Illustrated. My work is featured in the 2025 issue, The Right To Live In Peace. I shared a table with several artists from the anthology, including Carlos Quispe, Annabelle Heckler, Jordan Worley, and of course my Illustration professor and host for my internship Sara Gomez-Woolley. Sitting beside established creators blurred the line between student and peer and reminded me that independent publishing remains a powerful space for truth-telling outside corporate design and advertising. Conversations about process and publishing felt more educational than any lecture I’ve had at City Tech or similar academic settings.

One standout moment was meeting Jordan Worley, a World War 3 Illustrated organizer. We discussed his path onto New York’s art scene and how he started working with WW3. He encouraged me to submit work for the 2026 edition and explained the steps for acceptance. That exchange turned casual networking into a concrete opportunity for continued publication.

Leaving the event, I felt a renewed sense of belonging and solidarity. Spaces and events like ABC No Rio prove that creative work can serve community, not just commerce. Meeting Jordan and the other artists reminded me why I create in the first place.