ALUMNI/AE
ALUMNI PROFILES
NIKEYU CALLAWAY ’10
ART OUTLETS An overarching love of art has always guided Nikeyu Callaway’s life trajectory: from drawing and painting as a little girl, through her formative studio art practice at Millbrook, to her current position as an events associate at Pace Gallery in New York City. Her journey after Millbrook has been an ongoing exploration of artistic milieus. On a career path with great variety, Nikeyu knows she is happiest when surrounded by creative people. After Millbrook, Nikeyu attended Connecticut College and majored in fine arts, but she missed the personal attention she had received as an artist and student at Millbrook and felt uninspired by the Conn College arts curriculum. When recalling her high school experience in Honors Drawing and Painting with Bill Hardy, she says, “I was really at home in that studio in Holbrook—it felt cozy and creative. In the moment, you don’t always realize how fortunate you are. Looking back, I realize how special it was. I so appreciated having Mr. Hardy’s guidance.” After only one year at Conn College, she transferred to the University of Miami in search of the personal attention she felt was missing. Nikeyu took summer classes at Fordham and doubled up on her required art credits. The added course load in her senior year had a silver lining: she got to know her UMiami teachers better one-on-one. She earned a degree in fine arts, with a minor in classics and architecture, and graduated early, eager to find her place in the art world. Her first job out of college was with Jim Kempner Fine Arts as a gallery assistant, and it was eye-opening. Though she loved being in the gallery space, she found the work of a gallery assistant tedious. Setting her sights on something more dynamic, she landed at RadicalMedia as a production assistant in their brand engagement division. Nikeyu worked collaboratively with major brands such as American Express to organize sponsored musical performances and large-scale concerts. While being in production gave her invaluable experience, Nikeyu was determined to apply her creative skills in the fine arts world.
SUMMER 2020 •
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