Passion and Persistence: How an Art History Grad Landed Her Dream Job
Heather Drakeâs brain overflows with knowledge about famed surrealist painter Salvador DalĂ. Her enthusiasm colors her words, and what seems like a simple question â âWhat is your favorite piece by DalĂ?â â turns into a guided tour through the żì»îapp alumnaâs personal art museum.
âI would say my absolute favorite to discuss would be âPortrait of My Dead Brother,â because I think it tells us everything we need to know about DalĂ the man,â says Drake, who received her bachelorâs degree inÌęart historyÌęin 2015. DalĂ, she adds, was born exactly nine months and 11 days after the death of his older brother, also named Salvador DalĂ, and he fought a constant battle to be his own person.
âMy absolute favorite though, personally, would have to be âGeopoliticus Child [Watching the Birth of the New Man],â because itâs about the birth of a new world and a new idea, and I think thatâs always something people are struggling to find,â Drake says. âItâs never too late to reinvent yourself, which is what I did.â
Drakeâs ability to turn a common question into a history lesson, art explication and personal statement testifies to the passion that landed her a role as group experience manager at The DalĂ Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. There, she opens eyes to the wonders of DalĂ by helping others experience the magic for themselves.
Drake was introduced to that magic during her time at żì»îapp, where she reinvented herself after ditching past lives as a pet stylist and a leasing agent. On campus, she cultivated a palpable appetite for all things DalĂ, and a focused drive to see her dreams to fruition. Despite cutthroat competition, she landed an internship at The DalĂ Museum. Within two months, she was promoted to a part-time position, and when the group experience manager job opened soon after, Drakeâs manager insisted she apply.
While many of the museumâs visitors are instantly taken with DalĂ, it wasn't love at first sight for Drake. âI have no qualms telling people from the beginning that when I started my search into art history, I was absolutely adamant I loved all types of art except surrealism,â she says.
But all it took was dinner and a movie for DalĂâs eccentric personality to sweep Drake off her feet. âThen I saw âUn Chien Andalou,ââ Drake says, referring to a movie DalĂ created with filmmaker Luis Buñuel. âIt was just mesmerizing. The thing I love about DalĂ the most is that it wasnât just his physical art he was making. We see him as a madman, but in reality, he was living his art every single day. He was crafting this person.â
Once Drake warmed to dadaism and surrealism, the dots began to connect. As a student of both art and psychology, Drake came to view art as a frame for understanding the human experience. âArt is this way into understanding people â who we are, why we do what we do,â she says. âI love the overlap of art looking into a personâs soul and psychology looking into their mind.â
Thatâs the kind of insight she likes to share with visitors to The DalĂ Musem. Itâs also something sheâs storing up for the next generation. Drake and her husband have a son on the way, and she says she hopes to make art a big part of his life. âArt is definitely something Iâm hoping to instill in him,â she says. âI hope he has a passion for it.â