Student Spotlight: Ben Behrend
April 11, 2016
This week we are honoring Ben Behrend, current senior in the College, and our first ever chair of the Arthur Ross Gallery Student Board! Ben is a Philadelphia native studying History and Spanish. On campus, he serves as a board member of Quadramics Theatre Company and gives tours to prospective students. We sat down with Ben to pick his brain about being the first chair of the Arthur Ross Gallery Student Board:Q: What was it like to be the first chair of the ARG Student Board?
A: I served on the first official ARG Student Advisory Board in my sophomore year, and we were trying to figure out what we wanted to be as an organization. As chair, I hope that I’ve been able to really give the board a few objectives, primarily to spread the word about the gallery to the Penn community. The gallery is a gem and I think more people than ever are stopping in to take a look at our exhibitions.
Q: What were your favorite parts of being on the Student Board?
A: Working with the other board members and the ARG staff has been wonderful. It’s also very rewarding to see students and faculty walk through the gallery and learn something new about art.
Q: How has the student board, in your opinion, impacted the gallery positively?
A: I think the board has helped to attract more students to the gallery, and also serves as a voice to the staff so that they have an immediate idea as to what the student body wants.
Q: What is some advice you have for future members and leaders of the board?
A: My advice is to work hard, and be an engaged advocate for the gallery. At Penn, there are so many things that compete for attention, so making ARG stand out is an important way to draw in new visitors.
