News and Events

Houze’ de l’Aulnoit, who is originally from France, participated in Lake Forest College’s In The Loop Program during the fall semester of her senior year and began working as an intern for the gallery. She fell in love with the job and was hired full-time after graduation as a Gallery Administrator. 

Women Made Gallery is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support, cultivate, and promote the diverse artistic contributions of women and non-binary artists through exhibitions, membership, and community dialogue programs. Unlike many other galleries, they do not require artists to have previously exhibited to be shown in their gallery, which helps artists gain exposure and begin their careers. 

The gallery was created by two women who were unable to exhibit their senior project due to gender discrimination from galleries. Taking matters into their own hands, they created their own studio space and were contacted by many other women in similar situations who asked them to exhibit their work. For Houze’ de l’Aulnoit, this aspect of giving opportunities to historically marginalized artists is one of her favorite parts of her job. 

“I never thought of having a career in the non-profit world, but I started working for one and thought, ‘Wow, I get to do something that I love, and I get to have a positive impact on people’s lives,’” Houze’ de l’Aulnoit said. “There have been some artists who have come to me and cried, telling me that I’ve changed their life forever, and there is nothing more rewarding than that.” 

Houze’ de l’Aulnoit spent time looking into other careers and jobs, like art auctioneering, before committing to Woman Made Gallery. She had a difficult time hearing back from companies she applied to and spoke the same of her friends’ experiences. Ultimately, though, she is incredibly happy in her position at the gallery and learned the importance of resilience and continued effort. 

“I feel so lucky, and I’m so happy that I found this job,” Houze’ de l’Aulnoit said. “It’s a great example of the need to keep on believing in your dreams and something great will happen to you. It will be tough, but everything will work out.” 

Wanting to gain more experience in the American art industry during her time at the College, Houze’ de l’Aulnoit worked as the director of the College’s Gallery 208, where she curated exhibitions with the work of artists on campus.  

“Making a story based on all the different art pieces that are available is so much fun for me,” Houze’ de l’Aulnoit said. 

As a recent graduate, Houze’ de l’Aulnoit knows all too well how tough the transition from college life to the professional world can be. However, her time in the In The Loop Program helped to ease the transition. 

“I felt like my semester in the Loop was already kind of like being in the professional world,” Houze’ de l’Aulnoit said. “Already having the apartment downtown and having to go to work really made the transition easier. I had a huge case of the college blues after graduating, which was a bit tough, but I feel like the program made it easier to transition from college life to working life.” 

Additionally, Houze’ de l'Aulnoit’s time at the College prepared her well for life after graduation and provided helpful resources for her as an international student. 

“I love the way the College puts an emphasis on networking, because that’s what you have to do in life and that’s how you get jobs,” Houze’ de l’Aulnoit said. “I also really appreciated being able to start curating exhibits and practicing the skills I’d need in my career early on before starting work.”