My name is Victoria Orjalo, and I am a Grade 12 student at Monsignor Paul Dwyer. I picked the RMG to do my Co-op placement because I am interested in studying and teaching art and am an aspiring artist. The RMG is the perfect fit and I am very fortunate to be a Gallery Studio Co-op student. Here five days a week, I have absorbed the extraordinary effort put into the Gallery Studio and school programs. I enjoy the incredible dedication of staff bringing joy to clay, watercolour and acrylic classes, as well as the fun school programs that includes a studio activity and a gallery tour. While working here I’ve helped children create art, worked on databases, done event setup and gained a deeper understanding of principals and fundamentals of art.

One of my favourite jobs is designing and constructing the event board for OPG Second Sundays and other family events. Each board has a different theme and I get the responsibility of designing them. My favourite board that I have done would have to be the Valentine’s Day Event board, which I designed based on the old styled handmade Valentine’s Day cards. The most satisfying part is the creative freedom and the enthusiastic reaction from people seeing it.

I have learned important life skills such as multitasking under pressure, working with children of all ages and being an engaging speaker. The studio is a great space for comical and creative thinkers. Having the opportunity to be behind the scenes of an art gallery has made me even more excited to start a career in art.

My experience at the RMG has been fantastic. The staff is passionate and are amazing to be around. Anyone thinking of doing a Co-op program should definitely check it out.

Victoria Orjalo