Meet Arts Management Intern, Brian Hernandez

A festive #FrontRowFriday to all of you Encore fans out there. School’s out and we can’t stop smiling, especially because we’ve got a new friend joining Encore’s team for the summer. A talented artist, snappy dresser, and all-around funny guy, meet Brian:

Encore: Please briefly introduce yourself. What’s your background in the arts? How will you be working with Encore this summer?

Brian: My name is Brian Hernandez. I recently graduated from James Madison University with a BS in Studio Art/Art Education. I also had a minor in Music Industry. This summer, I’ll be the intern here at Encore for Arts Management! I’ve been involved with the arts for as long as I can remember. Loved music class all throughout elementary, was in choir since 5th grade, performed in The Addams Family my senior year in high school. When I got to college, I knew I wanted to continue performing so I joined the show choir (The Madisonians) and performed with them for 9 semesters, and did Gospel choir for a semester. I was also on the Latin Dance Team (Grupo Candela) where I was active for all five years and I was captain of the team my senior and super-senior year. That’s just performing arts. As for visual arts, I concentrated in Sculpture and I pursued art education where I loved being able to share my knowledge of the arts to my students.

Encore: Which part of your internship has you most excited? What kinds of projects will you be working on?

Brian: I enjoy creating and designing so I’m really stoked about that aspect of the internship. I’ve already made a couple of flyers and forms and I’ll be helping out with Newsies so I’m optimistic that it will be a grand time. I’m looking forward to familiarizing myself with the company and the efforts that go into making this place successful.

Encore: Describe your favorite moment of theatre/performing arts you’ve ever experienced.

Brian: I think my favorite moment of performing was the time that my dance team and I won the collegiate Salsa/Bachata collegiate competition. We were personally invited to the Congress in Richmond to perform against four other schools (GMU, UVA, VT, and W&M) and when they announced that we had won, I was so proud of my team. We went out to celebrate and the road trip back was something I will never forget.

Encore: How have the arts impacted you personally?

Brian: The arts have impacted me in such a positive way. They’ve made me more confident in myself; I’ve been able to network and make incredible connections, and the arts have made me realize that I should never apologize for being myself. I’m happy I’ve been able to pursue my passion and do what I love every day. The arts have made me realize that the only person that can stop me from being an artist is myself and it’s been so empowering. The professional experiences, critiques, breakdowns, and praise, have all led me to be the person I am today and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Encore: Why do you think the arts are important in the lives of young people?

Brian: The arts are important because they allow for creative expression and individualism. I think this comes from me being an art educator but I think it’s so important for young people to be able to express themselves and discover and make their world how they want to make it. Also, young people have to grow up in a constant state of acceptance. [They’re always faced with:] “Am I cool enough? Am I pretty enough? Oh, I can’t draw as good as this person. Oh, their painting looks so much better than mine. Oh, I can never sing/act/dance as good as them”. The list can go on and when a kid doesn’t have that support that the arts can bring, it can be pretty devastating. Now, I could go on a tangent about how society views the arts and gender, and representation and all that, but I’ll just say that I think the arts are critically important in the lives of young people.

Encore: Give us a question you wish we’d asked you and, of course, your answer:

Brian: I wished you’d have asked me what my favorite Disney movie is to which my answer would be Tarzan!

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Brian! We can’t wait to see what fun and creative projects come out of your time here at Encore this summer. Want the chance to meet this talented intern yourself? He’ll be working with our Front of House crew at our production of Disney’s Newsies, so get your tickets today!

Art by Brian Hernandez. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.