Like many Fine Arts students before her, Taylor Terreri was reluctant to follow her passion at first. Hailing from Warwick, Rhode Island, Terreri enrolled as an undecided student at URI for the affordable in-state tuition, unaware that it would open the gates of opportunity to her. Drawing on her childhood interest, she ended up declaring an art major her sophomore year, but she still felt that something was missing from the equation. “I wanted to do something in the art field,” Terreri states, “But the first thing people ask when you tell them you’re an art major is ‘what are you planning on doing with that?’ I wanted a supportive minor for my major.” In her quest for a minor, Terreri took a great deal of preliminary psychology courses, but it was through her enjoyment of her communications and business classes that she discovered her additional interest in public relations. “It seemed like the best support,” she explains, “I took all kinds of classes that I felt could support the arts. I figured that, if I couldn’t find a job in the arts, they could still help me land a job in another field.”

As it turns out, art was the right major for Terreri, but it was her part-time work-study job and her internships that turned her on to her true passion. She recalls drawing inspiration from her gallery internship class, working part-time in the Fine Arts Center’s gallery. “I got a little taste of what it’s like to plan and execute exhibits in all aspects,” Terreri states, “After that one, I looked for parallel internships. It was because of that that I ended up interning at the Warwick Center of the Arts.” In addition, she also worked as a teaching assistant for the Introduction to Art History class.

Terreri graduated in 2013 with a B.A. in art and a minor in public relations. She now works as the director of the Warwick Center for the Arts. Working around a six-week art exhibit schedule, Terreri coordinates with artists to both plan and execute exhibits while also leading adult art classes and an eight-week summer art camp for kids. With the building’s status as a historic landmark, Terreri even works with different parties to rent the facility out for special events — from baby showers to corporate affairs. In addition, she works with pediatric patients at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and adults at Rhode Island Hospital through healing art activities, a job her psychology classes at URI prepared her to excel at.

Overall, Terreri is very thankful for her URI education. “It helped me tremendously,” she adds, “I have to do public speaking on a daily basis, and I also implement the marketing and communications techniques I learned into social media and print and website marketing.” When asked about advice, Terreri has a lot to give, stating, “If art or music is your passion, try to supplement it with a different concentration to support your goals or to work as a fallback.” Drawing on her own college experience, Terreri also adds, “Find internships that you can grow into. Don’t just get one to get one, do some digging to find a good fit for you.”

~ Written by Chase Hoffman, Writing & Rhetoric and Anthropology double major