Internship Spotlight: Da Zhuang Shapes the Story of Local Art at Buddy

“For a lot of people coming into the Buddy store, it’s their first exposure to Chicago artists,” said Da Zhuang, a second-year Master of Fine Arts in Writing student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). As the social media intern at Buddy in the Chicago Cultural Center, Zhuang plays a key role in making that first impression meaningful. By curating digital content, assisting artists, and engaging with visitors, she helps bridge the gap between local creatives and a wider audience. 

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Buddy is more than just a store—it’s a vibrant showcase of local artists, makers, and small businesses. The nearly 2,500-square-foot retail space features everything from prints and photos to textiles, jewelry, music, and books, all made by Chicago-based creators. A program of Public Media Institute (PMI), Buddy serves as a retail hub, event space, and community connector, introducing both Chicagoans and tourists to the city’s contemporary art scene.

Zhuang, originally from China, arrived at SAIC eager to explore the intersections of writing, publishing, and community engagement. Zhuang’s artistic practice centers on storytelling and book arts, particularly creating artist books, with her writing primarily consisting of short fiction, often blending romance with eerie, unsettling elements. 

At Buddy, Zhuang’s work involves curating and organizing books, zines, and prints that reflect Chicago’s diverse creative voices. She also helps document Buddy’s ever-evolving inventory, capturing the essence of independent art and writing through photography and promotional content. Before joining Buddy, Zhuang interned at Meekling Press, a small experimental publisher known for its handcrafted books. “It was really, really fun,” she said. “I liked getting to be in a space where people make books from start to finish.” While Meekling catered to a niche literary audience, Buddy engages a broader public, offering Zhuang new insights into how independent art spaces operate.

Zhuang’s internship at Buddy blends hands-on store management with creative storytelling. “I bring my own camera to take pictures for social media. I’ll write captions, talk to artists and tourists, and help promote the work in the store,” she explained. Through social media posts, she highlights exhibitions, artist projects, and the handmade work that fills Buddy’s shelves. “Social media is super important to advertise their own artwork and reach out to more people, get themselves out there.”

The Buddy store exclusively features work by Chicago-based artists. “It’s a space downtown that brings Chicago artists together,” Zhuang says. “It helps artists show their work in a busy space, and tourists get to experience local contemporary art.” Visitors can find pieces from SAIC students and faculty, including Ein Würfel ist ein Rechteck by Associate Professor Tom Burtonwood.

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The full-color, single-page zine unfolds to reveal the first 35 drawings from his A Cube is a Rectangle series, originally created for his students at SAIC. Burtonwood, a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist, curator, and educator, uses this format to share insights into his artistic motivations and process.

As she looks ahead, Zhuang sees her internship as essential preparation for life after SAIC. “What drew me to SAIC was that I wanted to live in a city with a really active literary and arts community,” she said. “Being able to work with small presses and artist-run spaces makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger.” She encourages other students to seek out similar opportunities. “I found the information on Handshake, and the interview process was quite simple. In smaller organizations, you can directly work with a manager or a person in charge and learn a lot from them.”

Through her work at Buddy, Zhuang is helping shape the way local artists reach new audiences. “It’s exciting to be in a city where there’s so much happening, and to be part of that in a hands-on way,” she said. As she continues to blend storytelling, social media, and community engagement, her experience at Buddy serves as a testament to the power of independent art spaces in Chicago.

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