Natalie Cheng ('27), an Architecture major, was an intern at ArtWell through the Summer Humanities Internship Program. ArtWell is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit supporting young people and their communities through multidisciplinary arts expression, education and creative reflection.
I wanted to see how design worked in a more professional setting where multiple people and opinions worked on a single project. I learned how design is seen through a company and marketing lens instead of just considering aesthetics. I chose ArtWell because of their mission. As a kid growing up in Philly, I had wished for a positive artistic experience, and I wanted to help ArtWell to continue and expand their influence in Philly.
My first days at ArtWell included setting up and working at the ArtWell Art Show. It was the perfect start to my time at ArtWell, letting me familiarize myself with the team and see the donors, students, and friends of ArtWell in person. One of the first projects I worked on was the annual “ArtWell By The Numbers 2023-2024” infographic which allowed me to really see how ArtWell visually presents itself. I learned the company's standard visual presentation through many drafts and corrections. My supervisor was wonderful with pointing me in the right direction. Everyone else on the team who helped me finalize stats and descriptions. While I was the lead in this project, I felt like I could lean on my team’s shoulders and ask for help in areas I might not be stronger in.
This internship has given me useful insight into my future as a humanities and design major by learning design in an unintimidating and welcoming workspace.
Through this first project, my second project -- creating a cover for the “We The Poets” journal that was handed out to ArtWell students this school year -- went by much easier. By this point, I had found the balance between my creative style and ArtWell’s visual style. I applied my skills but also learned to use the strong points of my team, resulting in my learning more about marketing, company standards, and collaboration in the end. ArtWell’s team can be described as incredibly welcoming, principled individuals who I had gotten close to this past summer. I hope I can continue to use the skills I learned at ArtWell in the future as a designer and architect.
Interested in reading more first-hand accounts about undergraduate research? Check out the other experiences featured on our Student News Page and Social Media!
Related Articles
Five Penn third-year students are 2025 Goldwater Scholars
Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to students planning research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.
Taking the Unbeaten Path
Nora Youn ('25), a Visual Studies major, researched how the length of time viewing museum installations influences the aesthetic impacts of the work. Nora was mentored by Dr. Anjan Chatterjee (Department of Neurology), and this research was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant.