Meet a VC Intern: Jenny Park

Learn more about one of our 2022 VC Summer Interns Jenny Park, our Archives Exhibition Intern!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Jenny Park, (she/they) and my Korean name is 박경나. I was born in Korea, but my home is Koreatown in Los Angeles. I’m an artist and my skills touch on drawing, painting, animation, and illustration. I recently graduated from Pomona College with a BA in Art with a focus in animation, and you can check out my two short films here. In my work, I star characters with marginalized identities that make the most of life despite the systems that try to undermine them. When I’m not making art, I practice Polyphia riffs, do yoga for my back, and go on night walks (and run into the occasional cat).

How did you hear about VC and what drew you to apply?

After my experience as a virtual Getty Center Intern, I knew I had one more opportunity to apply the following year and work with a community-centered organization. When the application window opened, I went through each organization on the Getty site and was immediately drawn to VC’s mission to “develop and support the voices of Asian American & Pacific Islander filmmakers and media arts.” It was a perfect alignment of my interests in creating art in motion and serving the APA community that it would’ve been dumb not to apply. I was also curious about the VC Archives–what kind of stories, images, and media lay in one of the largest archives dedicated to the Asian Pacific American experience in America? My curiosity stemmed from a desire to ground myself in the history of APA folks and immerse myself in the people, stories, and movements that came before me, and I’m happy to say that my time here has fulfilled my expectations and beyond.

What are your intern duties at VC? Which part do you find interesting?

I’ve helped out with office clean-up, poster design, furniture assembly, and grant writing. However, I spend most of my time in the Archives in a thick sweater sorting and cataloging photos. Right now I am in the process of preparing the contents of two project boxes to transfer into large clamshell binders: the JACL “Conquer the Bridge” run from 1986 to 1990, and the behind-the-scenes shots of John Esaki’s film Stand Up For Justice. Handling three scanners at once and wearing cloth gloves to protect the film from the oil on my fingers did make me feel like I was a lab tech 😎. Getting to handle the material in person was the most valuable experience for me because I got to see so many glimpses of the waves that APA folks were making in the late 1970’s and the early 2000’s through the support of Visual Communications. Asking Abe, my supervisor and the Archives Manager, for clarification behind some of the photos was also an interesting process; on many occasions he was the one behind the camera and brought a well-rounded understanding of what, or more importantly who, was in the frame.

How do you describe your experience working at VC so far? Any memorable moments?

I remember having a moment at the end of my first week where I thought, “I’m at the right place.” The work atmosphere is tight-knit and cozy due to the small staff size, and we take the time to check in with everyone during our weekly World Building meetings. The folks here are genuine, funny, down-to-earth, and dedicated. Going on boba runs with Eseel, the Operations Director, and other fellow interns has helped build community as well. The idea of working in the Archives might feel solitary and cold to some, but I’ve felt both comfortable in this work style and that I’m making a difference through my efforts. One memorable moment I had was assisting with the Archives storage clean-up, where I was sifting through boxes from VC film fests of previous years. Reading through film submissions, browsing magazines, and flipping through festival catalogs was so fun and it felt like I was eating crumbs of hundreds of movies spotlighting the APA experience all at once. From surprise Napoleon cake, to collectively grinding on a grant app, to collaborative office clean-up, I’ve felt a genuine sense of comfort, belonging, and community here and has subsequently made my time at VC the best internship experience to me.

Describe what a perfect day would look like for you. How do you take rests?

For rest, I enjoy animating on clip studio paint, drawing characters in my sketchbook, painting, and making beats. Sunset walks are cool and sometimes I’ll play Pokemon Reborn, a fan made game by Amethyst Liddell that my friend introduced to me. I’ll also sometimes watch anime (Jojo Stone Ocean!) with my younger brother. I try to go on walks often and if I really pay attention I’ll see people, interactions, and creatures that I want to bring into my work. 

Who is Jenny?

NAME: Jenny Park / 박경나 (Park Kyung Na)

BORN IN: Seoul, raised in Koreatown. 

WHY ART: Art is a habit that gives me joy. It gave me release from bodily pain and discomfort because of my scoliosis. It gives me meaning. It’s a skill I’ve put a lot of time into and I plan to use it to uplift those close to me, my larger community, and the world.

MEDIUMS: Animation, illustration, drawing, painting.

MUSIC: Ravyn Lenae; Smino; Shakey Graves; Polyphia; Moses Sumney; Gorillaz; Hyukoh

MOVIES: 1) Fantastic Mr. Fox 2) Happy Together 3) Taste of Cherry

SHOWS: Saiki K; Tuca and Bertie; Harley Quinn (2019); Hannibal 

ART INSPIRATION: Anna Firth; Vewn; Felix Colgrave; Yoshitaka Amano; Tom Hunter

LIKES: Braised pork belly; My Schecter Reaper 6; LA sunsets; Skating on smooth surfaces; Playing as a Barbarian in DND

DISLIKES: Back pain; Celery; Male entitlement

GOALS: To buy my parents a nice house; To serve the community and its people through art and animation; To get more involved with independent animation circles in LA; To watch more animated movies and finish The Stranger by Camus; To draw and code a visual novel; To try more teas; To learn how to sing; To practice guitar more; To meditate more; To be more loving.

IN TEN YEARS I’M: Volunteering at VC; Cooking with my parents at their nice kitchen in their nice house; Running an art mentorship program for low-income kids in LA; Still making art.

Me at Tea Circle, run by my friend Tramy, who’s also looking at the camera.

My most recent painting.

B-day Bingsoo at Sul & Beans!

Photos and captions courtesy of Jenny Park.