Education Real experience First Street Gallery provides a unique environment for Humboldt State University students to experience outside the boundaries of the classroom, studio, and University. Students at all levels and disciplines are invited to participate in gallery activities through internships, work-study jobs, and interaction with the exhibitions and speakers. The Gallery provides students with "real world" experience that not only makes them more qualified to pursue top jobs out of college, but it provides them with necessary insights for working with a diverse public in sometimes challenging situations. Three academic programs run out of the HSU Art Department are supported by the Gallery: The Art Museum and Gallery Practices Certificate Program: The gallery serves as a hands on learning lab where the techniques, ethics and practices of museums and galleries are imparted to the students Service Learning: HSU Students in the Art Education program of the Art Department lead classes from the region's K-12 grades, using First Street Gallery's exhibitions to support their curriculum Directed Studies Gallery Internships: Art Department students serve as interns at the gallery, assuming the roles of project leaders in the production of exhibitions. Since opening the program, the Gallery has established "Art & Environment," an interdisciplinary series of annual exhibitions that highlight the intersection of the sciences and the arts, broad subject areas that have strong enrollment at HSU. This series has proven popular with the community as well as with a broad constituency across the university. The gallery has, over the years, introduced challenging exhibitions by artists from outside of our region, which has also met with popular local support. For students seeking to augment their studies with an internship, the Gallery offers an unrivaled opportunity. The job description for a qualified intern includes, but is not limited to exhibition planning, exhibition installation and disinstallation, special exhibition related writing and design projects, sales, volunteer coordination, database management, light to medium size clerical projects, letter writing and hosting receptions for galley artists. Assistants also write press releases, assist in the writing of brochures, and conduct artist interviews. Student Exhibitions One of the most successful collaborations between the Gallery, the University and the community has been the mounting of ambitious student exhibitions. Students studying at HSU have opportunities throughout the academic year to exhibit their work at First Street Gallery. This experience prepares studio artists for dealing with professional art spaces in larger cities and promotes a serious, professional work ethic among student artists. For the community, it provides a window into the educational and artistic achievements of University.

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