Meet the Intern - Lacey Pashak

Hamilton, Ohio – New year, new intern.

Meet Lacey Pashak - a Miami University Regionals junior in the Community Arts program – who began a semester-long internship at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts Friday, January 16. In fact, she joined the team before her academic semester even got started to get a bigger jump on gaining practical career experience.

More on that in a moment. But first, some background.

Pashak, 20, graduated from Lakota West High School in 2023 - where she already was taking college courses - and followed her older brother (who studies geology and history) to Miami.

She grew up in a creative home - her father is a photographer who also draws and paints – and is into photography herself, as well as printmaking. She plans on pursuing an MFA degree at Miami after finishing her undergraduate work in May of 2027.

Pashak begins her internship with a baptism by fire, assisting Director of Exhibitions Cathy Mayhugh during the busy changeover period between the recently-closed Rock & Root exhibition and the soon-to-open Push & Pull show. (The official gallery-opening celebration is Saturday, February 14, in conjunction with the Jazz & Cabaret series Mardi Gras Party.)

Among other duties, she will help Mayhugh and her team as they collaborate with artists and partners on site to receive, unpack and hang new exhibitions, adjust gallery lighting and manage open calls for juried shows.

Pashak also will work closely with Assistant Director of Education and Community Outreach Caroline Digiovenale on a variety of tasks, including materials prep for different off-site outreach partners. Marketing Manager Mark Motz plans to take advantage of her work behind the camera to help document some of the goings on in and around the building.

For her part, Pashak said she’s excited to work with several different departments.

“I want to learn how to manage a gallery,” she said. “I want to learn how to install a gallery show. Maybe one day I’d like to have my own gallery.

“I want to continue creating art, too. I want to have a decent portfolio and set myself up for my masters. I want to learn more about printmaking since I’m still pretty new at that.”

Away from school and intern duties, Pashak recently took up some textile projects in embroidery and crochet. She also enjoys reading, baking and her cat (named Ocean). Her go-to baking treat is chocolate-chip cookies, but she prefers chocolate chunks to chips.

Pashak will be active on site roughly 10 hours a week through May.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture