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1.) What's your earliest memory of making art?
Some of my earliest memories with art were in the first grade with my art teacher, Ms.Girone. She still teaches at Moore Elementary in Brentwood, PA. Most of my work when I was younger included the sun and a farmhouse.

2.) Did you take a lot of art classes in high school?
In high school I took the standard amount of art classes. However, around my junior year I started to drift back and forth between my classes and the art room. I found myself in the art room during study hall and any other extra free time I had.

3.) Why did you choose to attend an art + design school?
I originally intended to come to an art and design school for car design. I grew up in a family were the men worked at General Motors. All I ever talked abut was cars and how one day I wanted to design them.

4.) What made you choose CIA?
I originally came here for car design. Plus visiting in person and getting to meet some of the designers who happened to be at the school on the day of my college visit played a part as well. The potential exploration into other mediums of art was also intriguing.

5.) What made you choose your major?
After experiencing the different majors foundation year, I was somewhat torn between Industrial and Architecture design. After much deliberation I decided on Interior Architecture. I had a strong desire to design different spaces and environments and felt this program presented that opportunity.

6.) Is having your own studio important to your education?
The importance of one’s own guaranteed space is huge. It’s your space and you can do whatever with it in regards to your work. The interaction with your classmates is just as important as sitting in a studio before a professor. I personally have benefited from my classmates and their take on finding a solution to whatever the project criteria may be. You can learn from your triumphs as well as your mistakes.

7.) How are your relationships with CIA faculty different than your relationships with your high school teachers?
One major difference is the time allotted to me as a designer, and my work as a whole. There is a lot more one on one with my professors, who are working professionals in the field that I desire to enter.

8.) Tell us about your internship.
My internship was at the Western Reserve Historical Society. While there I did some exhibit work for a new Cleveland Browns exhibit, based on the 1964 championship. My last class project before I started this internship was actually exhibit design, so it was rather convenient. The experience gave me a start-to-finish perspective on the execution of an exhibit space.

9.) What one thing about the CIA experience surprised you the most?
I believe that the best surprise about CIA is the vast wealth of knowledge that our professor and faculty have. There is such an open mindedness that is permitted when executing our own work.

10.) How do you like Cleveland?
It’s a small city, which is nice. Cleveland has built up a lot in the last few years and is offering more and more.

11.) What would you say to a high school student considering attending CIA?
If you have a passion for what you do and want professionals that will tap into your greatness, then this is the place for you.

Above: Quentin Spencer at the Western Reserve Historical Society where he served a design internship.