Heights Arts announces Eryn Lawson as the newest Exhibition Intern to join Heights Arts from Cleveland Heights High School.

By Amanda Bohn

Heights Arts announces Eryn Lawson as the newest Exhibition Intern to join Heights Arts from Cleveland Heights High School.

Heights Arts accepts one Junior each year to join a returning Senior to work with its volunteer Exhibition Community Team. The team is made up of community members with expertise in the visual arts who are charged with reviewing artist submissions, connecting Heights Arts with new artists, and providing assistance to hang shows and the annual Holiday Store in November and December. Interns learn to work directly with team members, and to provide their own perspectives and opinions. They are also charged with creating an annual student exhibition at the end of the school year featuring the curated work of their peers. Heights High art teachers were instrumental in identifying candidates, and after an application and interview process with several candidates and Heights Arts ECT members, Eryn Lawson was chosen as the 2020-2022 intern.

Lawson grew up throughout the Heights, either going to or living near almost all the schools at various points in time. The community is one she cherishes dearly, which is why she seeks to enhance the core values and expressions held by the collective. Through Heights Arts, she sees an opportunity for a blossom of artistic growth within younger generations and ourselves. She feels it is important to nourish these seeds and allow them to grow into something much greater beyond our individual selves. Says Ms. Lawson, “I’m excited to be joining the Heights Arts team!.. I can’t wait to see what we can all make, together!”

Lawson is the fourth intern to join Heights Arts since the partnership with Heights High School began in 2018. Prior interns ShaDonnah Miller and Ava Collier have moved on to further their education at Cleveland Institute of Art and The Ohio State University, respectively. Miller, who is beginning her sophomore year with a major in drawing, feels that the internship “really introduced me to the art side of Cleveland and got me used to speaking with other artists in a group setting. 2018-2020 intern Collier shares about her two-year internship experience: “Having a more intimate understanding of the business and gallery aspect of art has made me much more thoughtful about the art I make and how I want to continue with this passion. I am incredibly grateful for the time I spent listening and learning from the Heights Arts community and I hope the current and future interns enjoy the experience just as much as I did.”

Current Senior, Zelda Thayer-Hansen will lead the duo during this years’ exhibition season. In this, her second year, Zelda shares about her experience – “this internship has given me the amazing opportunity to collaborate with professional artists in our community and has opened my eyes to the breadth of possibilities the art world has to offer. I am excited to continue working with this group for another year and intend to use the skills I have earned from this program for the rest of my artistic career.”

Says executive director Rachel Bernstein of this partnership: “This internship has not only been a learning opportunity for our young participants, but a great asset to Heights Arts. It has provided us with a fresh and valuable perspective from a younger demographic which serves to create richer programming reflective of our diverse community. We very much look forward to continuing our partnership with Heights High, and to find additional ways to engage the students.”