New Trek Explores the Jobs that Make the Art World Go Round
By Rebecca GoldfineThey were in the city not so much to check out exciting new exhibitions and to learn art history, but rather to meet with the curators, gallery directors, conservationists, and other professionals who work behind the scenes to keep the creative industry humming.
(But they did have a bit of time to enjoy the city's art scene, since it's hard to talk to art people without also seeing what they love to work on.)

The inaugural Arts Trek was one of three career trips offered by the Office of Career Exploration and Development (CXD) this March. Since 2016, CXD has brought students to the West Coast over spring break to tour technology companies in Silicon Valley and San Franscisco. This year, it added two new trips: Arts Trek and InvesTrek, both to New York City.
CXD Executive Director Kristin Brennan said that, based on the popularity and success of the original West Trek, her office decided this year to diversify its offerings."We want to give students exposure to a lot of different fields," she said.
With funding from donors and the College, CXD sent students to NYC for three nights and two days, all expenses paid for every student. The office also received logistical and staff support from the ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµ Museum of Art (BCMA) and ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµ's investment office, as well as relied on the generosity of many alumni who welcomed students to their workplaces.
"I think there is nothing quite like seeing and talking to professionals in their actual space in the middle of their day," Brennan said. "Some of it is a sense of place. The Arts Trek went to museums and galleries, where art restorers can show the piece they're restoring or curators can talk about what they're doing to prepare for an upcoming exhibition."
"You get a sense of work culture, how people interact, what the space is like, and whether this could be a city you see yourself in," she added.