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Rose Haserodt graduated from CIA in May 2015 and has been working full time as a painter ever since. On Oct. 2, she drew an appreciative crowd — and sold several paintings — at her first solo exhibition. Art critic Steven Litt interviewed Rose as she prepared for the exhibition and wrote this article for The Plain Dealer. He then covered the one-night show in the Singer Steel building, a factory turned open-air gallery.

Here, Rose talks about her CIA experience.

1.) What made you choose CIA?
I chose to attend Cleveland Institute of Art because of how many people here believed in my potential and went out of their way to help me, even as an applicant. Which may seem like a petty reason to choose to attend a school but having a support group of people who believe in me has moved me forward more than anything. Certainly the literature, dialogues, and exposure to radically different viewpoints on art making that I experienced here have made my work more critical and contemporary; but it was the support that I needed the most.

2.) What made you choose your major
I chose to become a painter well before college and there has been no indecision about my choice since. I was attracted to the vocational freedom possible for a painter but I also knew this freedom would only be obtainable if I worked my butt off, thoroughly read everything I was assigned, and had an open mind to criticism. I also liked the freedom within painting itself, particularly the freedom to invent new worlds.

3.) Is having your own studio important to your education?
There is certainly a convenience level in having my own studio—not needing to nomadically lug my supplies everywhere—and time saved from not having to ceremonially setup and tear down everyday. But there are less obvious yet more profound consequences to having my own space to make work: having a large space of my own to make work has contributed to a fearlessness in my artistic practice—when I want to make a 5’x7’ painting, I can and there aren’t any space constraints keeping me from doing so—as well a sense of feeling valued—the Cleveland Institute of Art celebrates painting to the point that it gives all of its painters generously sized studio spaces with terrific natural light—which in turn, elevates my perception of the importance of painting.

Interaction with classmates—particularly in critiques—has helped me more clearly articulate ideas. My classmates have also been a good support system; they have been there to comfort or congratulate me. I have enjoyed watching their work develop and I am proud of how much we have all grown.

4.) How did you like your experience working as a studio assistant for a professional artist?

My experience as a studio assistant heightened my excitement and anticipation to be out on my own working as a professional artist. Cleveland Institute of Art has prepared me well for this experience in that it taught me how to conduct myself professionally around other artists and clients. From my experience as a studio assistant, I gained an overarching view of the many different aspects that go into being an artist and am more aware of what will be required of me when I am out of school and working full time as a painter.

5.) What one thing about the CIA experience surprised you the most?
I didn’t expect to learn as much as I did. I came to Cleveland Institute of Art thinking that my experience here would merely polish my existing work. When I started here, I had many romantic ideas about art making and I thought I knew quite a bit about art. A couple weeks in, I realized that was not the case and I had a lot to learn. Cleveland Institute of Art has provided me with a terrific, contemporary cocktail of information about art and given me the opportunity to be a part of some very sophisticated, irreplaceable dialogues.

6.) How do you like Cleveland?
I like Cleveland quite a bit. Cleveland has a subtlety to it that I enjoy. Landscapes, architecture, and the packaging of people in the space here is not so flashy and grandiose as the coasts, which I think encourages a person to have a healthy amount of introspection and trains the eye to look for and appreciate beauty in the inconspicuous. I also think Cleveland does a good job of celebrating the arts and has superb resources for artists. Cleveland has supported me as an artist and I think I can make a living here solely off of my practice.

7.) What would you say to a high school student considering attending CIA?
Cleveland Institute of Art provides an education, guidelines, and environment from which you can potentially become a terrific artist. The rest is on you. To be a great artist, you must be self-motivated. You must do assignments with the mentality that you want to be the best you can be, which is a more demanding endeavor than simply trying to get A’s.