New art just went up at the Career Services Center. One piece shows a chameleon in a light black suit with a Marquette-colored tie and a white shirt. The background features shapes in various colors including yellow, blue, orange and purple to represent the LGBTQ community.
The Career Services Center and student artists at Marquette University have been preparing for their spring open house since January, and the time has finally come. The open house was in Holthusen Hall April 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and highlighted five student artists that captured their interpretation of culture and career.
The artists had full creative freedom and control. They could create any art piece that aligned with the theme, culture and career. Michelle Kasbohm, Career Counselor at Marquette, stressed the importance of making sure the artists interpreted the theme how they wanted.
“They came up with their art idea and then they wrote a description on it to explain what their piece meant to them,” Kasbohm said. “A lot of them are very personal which was really interesting and how they see culture and career intersected, you get to see the behind-the-scenes part of it and it’s really fascinating.”
Paula Paliwoda, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, titled their piece “Keeping it Cool” to depict “a chameleon being able to fit into any environment. The chameleon represents the importance of adaptability, open mindedness and flexibility in the workplace.”
Mariam Ali, a senior in the College of Communication, created a piece called “Breaking the Glass Ceiling.” This piece was created to portray three women that overcame challenges in their professions.
The art captures three minority women breaking through the glass ceiling and showed materials like books and staplers scattering.
“The ‘glass ceiling’ is a metaphor for the unseen obstacles that prevent women and other marginalized groups from advancing in their careers,” Ali said. “I aimed to emphasize the significance of promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as different backgrounds help bring new ideas to the table.”
Elizabeth Machado, Career Counselor at Marquette, wants students to take away the importance of picking a career that best suits their needs, wants and interests.
“My hope is that students will see themselves in a career that they will feel empowered to bring their whole, authentic selves into their career and into different environments,” Machado said.
Kasbohm felt that this event was a wonderful way to connect with students on campus and get the word out about the services they offer.
“We want students to feel represented, to feel welcomed and appreciated in our space,” Kasbohm said. “We really care for all our students, and we want them to feel welcomed, and this is our way to reach them.”
Students who wanted to participate in the art gallery could apply through a job application Feb. 24. Once selected they had until April 5 to turn in their final project for the open house.
Machado explained the students were paid for their artwork by sponsors Kohls and MilliporeSigma. This was to show the student’s appreciation and make it worth their time. To prepare for the open house they also had Marquette marketing internships for students. The internships were to help advertise the event around campus and get the word out.
This exhibit included various college students with differing degrees; from the arts to marketing and more.
“That is central to how our office operates, and our philosophy. We really want our work to be collaborative and embedded in different areas on campus,” Machado said. “This event was really a manifestation of that.”
The Career Center will continue to host these events and will be announced through Handshake. There will be another open house in the fall semester and again in spring semester. Along with the events they host, they are open all summer long, virtually or in person, to help students, undergraduates and/or graduates and alumni.
This story was written by Aiyona Calvin. She can be reached at [email protected].
