When choosing what to major in, junior Kate Sims knew she didn’t want to follow the usual path. Instead, she decided to blaze her own trail. She knew she wanted to combine management and art, so with the help of her advisor, Mary MacNaughton, Sims created a major in arts administration. Her organizational studies and art history classes have given her insight into the art world, but the program she participated in this summer immersed her in the real world.
MacNaughton knew of an exclusive summer art management course offered through Simmons College and encouraged Sims to apply for the course. Before she knew it, Sims was in New York City for three weeks touring art galleries and meeting some of the most influential people in the art world, all while receiving Scripps credit for it.
The class helped her grow intellectually and personally. “New York changes everybody,” she said. “I grew up a lot. I had to take care of myself.”
Since she was the lone student from the West Coast, she was able to bring a unique perspective to the program. “The L.A. art world is so different from the East Coast,” said Sims. “It was good to have a West Coast perspective.” Sims may have taught the fourteen other women from Simmons and Wellesley Colleges some California style, but she learned a great deal from her fellow students as well. “My interactions with these young women alone completely changed my perspective on life, my career path, and my understanding of art.
“I returned from New York as a more mature, cultured young woman, proud to attend Scripps College.”
Sims and MacNaughton are working on encouraging other art students to apply for the course. “We hope to send more students from Scripps,” said Sims. “It helps open your eyes to so many different careers.”