Interns of New York: Audrey Baechle
Audrey Baechle is a freelancer at Christie’s Auction House. She’s not the biggest fan of commuting, but she is excited about the opportunity to explore. Photo courtesy of Audrey Baechle.
Featured image by Gabby Manotoc
For the second summer in a row, Audrey Baechle is sitting in the Center of the Universe. Nestled in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, encased in gold and glass is Christie’s. The auction house is currently the world’s largest, with offices in 32 countries including London, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Mumbai. It sells art whose prices are known to reach up to $80 million. This powerhouse is where Baechle, a fourth-year Graphic Design major from Savannah, Ga, will be spending the rest of her summer as a freelancer.
A year ago, Baechle found out about the opening through a cousin who had previously interned there. She applied and after a series of interviews, was hired as the only intern on the creative team. She did “a modge podge of collateral print work” such as logotypes, catalogs and a few print ads.
The biggest hurdle she soon learned was how to deal with professionals. “…there were times when I considered quitting,” she said. However, her work ethic prevailed. “I’m not a quitter, I [told myself] to finish this out.” She did and was invited back.
Many other students would jump at any chance to be in New York city again, but she was “very indecisive.” Baechle didn’t want to learn the same things. In the recent Spring quarter, she found a passion for web design but felt she was “weaker at web than in print and… wanted the chance to really improve.” When she expressed this to Christie’s, they were eager about giving her more digital and web-based work.
Ultimately though, it was her web design professor, Patrick Hogan, who advised her to take the job because it was a good company and there was a lot of potential for future employment. In a world with a waning number of entry-level positions, any form of job security was enticing.
Before starting a project for Christie’s she is always “very blunt about the [parameters of the work],” asking about appropriate typefaces, colors and logos. Though corporate work can appear uninspiring at face value, there’s a lot that can be learned about gaining that real-world experience most employers seem to be expecting of new graduates. “I don’t want to just be learning how to design for a corporation in my first post-grad job.”
But professional experience doesn’t appear to be a problem for Baechle. She’s a full-time student and also works 30 hours a week at Bonefish Grill in Savannah. Her past experiences include being a design intern for South Magazine, a photography intern for Christine Hall Photography and Time Machine Portrait Company, as well as a graphic designer for the first Photography Collaborative Learning Class for Coca-Cola.
When asked how she manages her time, she said, “I cry a little bit,” but later claims communication with her teachers is key. She gets advice on whether she can manage certain classes simultaneously before registering so she’s challenged with workloads she can survive.
Thus, one of her biggest keys to success is being prepared. “Don’t seem indecisive.” Be as passionate as possible by “researching the company and the boss you could be working for and then gearing your portfolio for them.” For instance, she found out her boss won several awards for typography and made sure to refine all her pieces to reflect a good eye for type setting. Before sending her portfolio and resumé off to companies, she made sure to get advice from as many people as possible. “And if you’re going to decide to come to an expensive city, plan ahead. I saved most of my money last summer, which is how I can afford to come back.”
For those who meet Baechle, it’s no surprise she’s determined to succeed. Her interest in art is unrelenting. She went to the Savannah Arts Academy majoring in photography and later entered SCAD as an advertising major with a graphic design minor. However, after realizing she spent more time in the design aspect of all her assignments, the switch to becoming a graphic design major was obvious. Currently, she’s considering dropping her advertising minor to take a few more graphic design classes.
Set to graduate in Spring 2015, she is intent on “getting out of Savannah.” However, unlike many artistic personalities, she’s not the biggest fan of New York city because of the constant commuting. She prefers a large city where she can drive around like Dallas, Austin or somewhere in California, as long as there’s a “big art scene.” Despite calling herself “directionally challenged,” Audrey Baechle seems to have a pretty smooth trajectory for success.
Editor’s note: Removed a quote that was made off the record.
Gabby Manotoc has been Creative Director for District for the past three years. She also designs the Port City Review, the student produced and curated annual literary arts journal of SCAD.
