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Summer Internship: Sam Lynd - Rochester Museum and Science Center

07/29/21  |  Posted by Richard Sarian  |  Posted in Admissions

Sam Lynd is a rising senior studying biomedial art (Life Sciences Illustration), who took on a summer 2021 internship at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Sam discusses his internship and time at CIA.

What are you doing through with the Museum?

I’m creating 20 illustrations of fish that are native, invasive, and stocked in Lake Ontario for use in a new exhibit at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. These illustrations will be hung in a climbing structure at different heights representing where the fish live in the lake to simulate the lake environment.

The line art from the illustrations will also be used as coloring pages for the education department.

What's a typical day like? How many hours do you work there?

I work 10 hours a week, two five-hour days, and typically come in about 9am and begin work on a fish. The goal for this project is to finish one fish per day so I open up all of the fish files still in progress and decide which one I’d like to work on today. I then begin work and check in with my supervisor periodically to make sure that the fish’s colors and shape look correct to another viewer and match the style guide.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in art and design?

I knew that I wanted to pursue art from a young age but didn’t actually decide to apply to art schools until I was a junior in high school. I was having my wisdom teeth removed and was extremely nervous about the procedure. I found a minute-long animation of a wisdom teeth removal and immediately felt better once I realized that it was a pretty simple procedure. I had a passion for drawing skulls and insects already and seeing that animation helped me to realize that I wanted to create medical illustrations. I love that medical illustrations can help people understand their medical care and make informed decisions.

What was Foundation year like? Did it affect your thinking on your creative career?

Foundation year was really fun! I enjoyed getting to take classes outside my desired field like 3D design, printmaking, and sculpture. I think those experiences helped me to be a more well rounded artist. I’ve taken some classes in 3D modeling recently and having the experience with 3D design and sculpture helped me to create 3D models. I have a better understanding of 3D spaces from those classes and I appreciate that Foundation year gave me the chance to explore those fields.

What's it like being a major in Life Sciences Illustration?

Biomedical art is a little bit different every day but it’s always fun! Sometimes we go to visit the Cleveland Natural History Museum, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, or the Cleveland Zoo and meet with experts there to discuss our next project. Sometimes we spend a class in the lab at CIA dissecting sharks, and a lot of the time is spent sketching and working in the studio. Our studio space is very friendly and welcoming and it’s always fun to work with my classmates. I really enjoy that every project uses a different approach and that I am always learning something new.

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