Julia Pintzopoulos (D’Angelo), Marist ‘09

Majored in Studio Art Major with an Art History Minor and a Digital Media Concentration

What has your career path been to this point?

I have been teaching elementary art in Massachusetts for the past eleven years. I spent ten incredible years teaching K-4th grade art at Murkland Elementary School in Lowell, Massachusetts. The staff and students at the Murkland shaped me as an educator and young professional and I am forever grateful. After a year and a half of virtual art, I am now teaching in person at the JT Hood School in North Reading, Massachusetts. The very same place I attended elementary school!

Can you share an experience/memory from your time at HRVI that stands out as meaningful?

I spent my senior year researching, photographing and writing about six historical post office murals around the Hudson River Valley. I loved learning about Hudson River Valley history through an artistic lens, especially at a public, operational building where such history is often overlooked. The project gave me permission to deep dive into local history instead of wondering about the backstory to the art while running an errand.

How has your experience at HRVI helped you advance your education and/or professional pursuits since graduating from Marist?

While interning at HRVI I wrote my first grant application. Even though I wasn’t awarded the grant, I gained experience in the process and inspiration to keep searching for a way to paint murals. Since then, I have written several grants for Refuge Lowell, an art studio which provides high quality art education for at-risk youth. Through Refuge, I have painted several murals within educational settings. I have also led groups of students in painting murals, which is something I have always dreamed of doing.

*note from staff: check out some of Julia’s cool school murals on her website here! https://www.jdesignsartware.com/interior-murals

As HRVI celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022, do you have any advice for future HRVI interns based on your time at HRVI and your experience in your professional field?

Your time at HRVI is meant to be a starting point on your professional path. Use your time to dive into a subject or lens that you love and somehow, somewhere, it will spark future work.