Interview Questions

Q1 What is your full name - Amina Begum Ahmed
What is something that you would like to change about your job?
The office, and the computers to MAC
Q2, Where are you from – loaded question! My parents are Indian and I grew up in London
3, 4, where did you go to college? How long for? do you plan to go back to college?
Chelsea School of Art -
Derbyshire University Art and Design with distinction-
Winchester School of Art Advanced entry BA Honors Degree
Royal College of Art MFA
Q How long for?
Total of 7 years and still learning.
Q Do you plan to go back to college?
Always ready to learn.
I would love to go back to college and study art therapy or look further into the same subject.
I am also interested in how we perceive beauty, how it registers in the mind or perhaps the heart
I majored in fine Arts and later specialized in visual Islamic and Traditional arts.
(This also includes the philosophy of Vedic, Christian, Judaic and Islamic art. The underlying basis of all traditional art is " Sacred Geometry"
Q5, Why did I choose that field?
The love of beauty
Q6, What got you involved in this field and what inspired you to do this.
If you mean the IAAC, the answer would be my heritage and the platform the IAAC serves to the community. The IAAC Mission.
Q7 What is your Job title?
Director of Exhibitions
Q8, What do your duties include? Or what kinds of work does your job involve?
All Visual arts Exhibitions sponsored by IAAC. Exploring ideas for possible exhibitions in the future
Everything begins with applying for grants!!! IF we can't get a grant we cant do the exhibitions
The main annual traveling exhibition I work on, is now in its fifth year, "Erasing Borders Exhibition of Contemporary Indian art of the Diaspora".
Receiving and responding to tons of emails a day (not the best part of the job)
a, My job is to contact venues to host the exhibition each year
b, My job is to send out a call for submissions
c, Prepare all the material for our Curator Vijay Kumar to look through and select, this is a very long and arduous process.
(It’s over 100 artists)
D, Once the artwork has been selected, I contact all the artists, the ones that have been selected and the ones that are not.
My job is to constantly maintain communication with the artists, with everything that involves them, logistics and so forth.

And making sure that both Vijay Kumar and Aroon Shivdasani our Executive Director is informed of all that is going on with the Exhibitions.
(Its never easy telling someone they are not included in something) this is the part I don't enjoy!
The Selected artwork is uploaded onto our website, and Bios photos of the artists and the artwork selected.
And then I have a stream of ongoing emails from the artists that want changes made. ( not fun)!
The dates for all exhibitions need to be set,
Opening Receptions and panel discussions need to be arranged.
Seek a performer for the opening reception again working around a small budget.
E, Prepare for the postcard invitation, design, printing, mailing.
Catalogue design this takes up a lot of the time many people are involved.
Make sure all the images are of correct resolution for printing purpose, the bios of the arts are ready, Editing and proof reading.
F, locating printers that will work to our budget, for the print of postcards and catalogues. We have to do a great job for as little as possible.
G, Insuring all the Artwork, lots of phone calls emails and lots of forms!
Find a van that will again, work to our budget to move artwork from one venue to the next.
H, Make sure all artwork is at the correct venue on the correct date ready to unpack and install.
I unpack and Install the exhibition with the Curator and the Gallery.
J, pack and move to the next venue. Start all over again.
K, when the shows are up I works on the next year’s venues and on my own artwork, and lots of little things that happen during the shows.

l, What are some of the Challenges you have faced working here.
I think one of my biggest challenges for me is going from solitary work to being in a crowd (the receptions) having to talk to people.
Trying to do keep up with taking care of our three children, my own artwork and crossing GW Bridge from NJ.
The other change is trying to work to the budget we have and finding the venues every year to host the Exhibitions. Space is a big challenge for all artists in any field.
Time, everything has to be done in advance and always racing against time. Deadlines!
Q12, What is the best part of the Job, Everyone I work with at IAAC, the arts.
Q13, What is something that you would like to change about your job?
The computers at the office to MAC
Q14 Did you work somewhere else before this job how long for was that similar.
Most of outside my own artwork has been in education, teaching in and around London, projects in schools and both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
I have organized exhibitions for various individual institutions.
Q15, what do you see as your future with this company?
This is just fine; I take a day at a time.
Q16, Do you enjoy the kind of work you do,
It’s all Art,
Do you plan to open your own business one day?
No thank you,
How has have an intern helped your company or organization advance or progress?
Having an intern has helped by allowing us to see how we might benefit form delegating work, a lot of work that stops us from progressing.
Most of all having the interns around to inspire us with their energy enthusiasm and fresh outlook.
Q19, What advice would you give to a high school aged intern ( such as myself) getting ready for college?
Don't assume, ask!
Study, Use your library!! READ, be on time, be prepared, and research the company that you might want to work for or intern with before your interview. Have an open mind, don't be discouraged, believe that you can do the job, make them believe that you are capable, show them! Learn to take notes if you can't do something ask, find a way or someone that can help you. Try and meet deadlines, don't leave things to the night before. ASK for help from you teachers. Learn to take notes, keep a journal, a pencil and sketchbook with you at all times. If you want to draw and find something it difficult keep trying, Practice.