With plans to become a professional photographer, Luna Siesko, a rising senior in visual arts, has already generated an impressive portfolio of work, ranging from portraiture to landscapes to event photography. But Siesko knows that in order to succeed as an artist, in today’s world, that also means succeeding as a small business owner—promoting herself and her work in the marketplace.

For Siesko, a summer internship at the Baltimore County Arts Guild (BCAG) in nearby Catonsville provided a key opportunity to broaden her skills, expanding her background in social media, website posts, space management, and event planning, developing capabilities that she feels will ground her in the future. “I’ve always had this dream of having my own studio space, and some sort of exhibit space for my work,” Siesko says. “And so this internship has been really applicable to that—making sure that the space is managed and accessible, and everything is running smoothly.”

Young artists like Siesko who study in UMBC’s dance, music, theatre, and visual arts programs often choose to establish themselves as independent practitioners, whether performing on stage, creating artwork, or expressing their work in other ways. Siesko says this will allow her to continue doing what she loves: “I just really enjoy working with people and being able to capture how multifaceted people can be.”

Engaging the community in the arts

A special focal point of Siesko’s work this summer was promotion of BCAG’s Arts & Drafts Summer Music Festival, held at Guinness Open Gate Brewery in late June. “A lot of the work I’ve been doing for them I would consider to be outreach work,” Siesko shares. “So I’ve been making posts on their website and doing social media. And for Arts and Drafts, I voiced a video, a little commercial they made to promote the festival.”

Established in 2012, the non-profit Baltimore County Arts Guild fosters the arts throughout Baltimore County, and is also the managing entity of the Catonsville Arts District, which is centered along downtown Frederick Road. “Luna’s creativity always shines through in her work,” says Gloria Fajimolu, programs and events manager at BCAG, who supervised Siesko’s internship. “Throughout her internship, she’s engaged with clients for rentals, liaised with contractors, established connections with a myriad of businesses, and fostered collaboration with talented artists.She’s always exploring new ideas and growing, despite any challenges along the way.”

Two untitled portrait photographs by Luna Siesko, courtesy of Siesko.

On campus, Siesko has been able to hone her skills through work at commonvision, UMBC’s print and design center, where she has focused on event photography and videography—images of people on campus and signature events such as Homecoming and Quadmania, as well as helping film a promotional video for the Woolies at UMBC.

Looking forward to what comes next

Siesko gives a special shout-out to the Career Center, where she  found her summer internship opportunity. “My first two years at UMBC I didn’t really go to any career fairs, because I wasn’t sure what I was looking for at all. But then I went to one to try to find an internship, and that was very helpful to me,” says Siesko, “and that’s how I am where I am now.”

After graduation next spring, Siesko plans to continue work as a freelance photographer, basing her work in the Baltimore area. “I’ve really fallen in love with the arts scene, and have met a lot of great people here,” she says. “I can’t imagine myself ever being too far away from Maryland.”

Become part of Port Discovery's new initiative, the At Play Learning Institute (APLI). Our mission is to engage caregivers and children innovative, play-based educational experiences and programs. This position includes informal interactions, as well as structured activities and workshops within the museum and offsite.

Our part-time At Play Learning Specialist position is primarily responsible for performing an essential role in Port Discovery’s community outreach. You will work closely with the APLI Assistant Director and receive training about the importance of play for families and community partners.

In summer of 2024, iHARP conducted its All Hands Meeting on June 20 through June 21, 2024 with the theme of “Convergence and Community Engagement”. The All Hands Meeting took place in Fairbanks, Alaska at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and included a virtual option. Over 50 attendees in multiple time zones attended this year’s presentation and discussion packed meeting. The meeting brought together iHARP researchers and collaborators who shared their knowledge, insights, current state of research and future research goals. The meeting also served as a launching pad for new connections through the Pan-HDR Ice-Melt Community Council (PHICC).

Day one of the meeting premiered with the state of the institute, twelve (12) research presentations, a multi-disciplinary panel featuring senior researchers, a convergence discussion where members discussed their vision for iHARP’s future activities at the intersection of multidisciplinary activities, and a poster session where additional research was shared. The selected research presentations and poster presentation only highlighted a small portion of the work that is being conducted through iHARP and its eight collaborating institutions. Day two of the event featured Dr. Vipin Kumar as keynote speaker, and guest speakers from the External Advisory Board and the newly formed PHICC. 

CBEE is hiring a part-time staff member to work on Tuesday from 8:30 - 4:30 pm for Fall 2024.

Please apply using this application:

As part of our ongoing commitment to engaging the campus community, Human Resources & Strategic Talent Management (HRSTM) created The Insider newsletter to provide important updates, insights, and highlights from each HRSTM unit. We invite you to take a moment out of your day to read the latest updates. Also, feel free to download a copy to digitally share with your colleagues or print a few copies to place in the gathering spaces of your office.