Temple Journalist Erin Moran Explores Philadelphia’s Art

Erin Moran is an ambitious Temple University journalism student who will be covering art as her beat topic this semester. I sat down with Erin to learn how her curiosity, experience, and passion for writing have prepared her to cover the art scene in Philadelphia.

Q: What made you decide to study journalism?

A: I’ve always been interested in writing, so when my high school cut our creative writing elective, I took the journalism class instead. I was obsessed with my high school newspaper and never imagined myself doing anything different.

Q: Why did you choose Temple University?

A: I originally looked into Temple because my guidance counselor recommended it to me, but I didn’t really like it at first. I didn’t even stay for the whole tour. I decided to send in an application anyway, though. I was offered a pretty unbeatable scholarship which included a stipend to study abroad and I ended up loving accepted students day, so I decided on Temple to take advantage of the study abroad program and graduate debt-free.

Q: What are some of your hobbies outside of school?

A: I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies anymore! When I’m not working on schoolwork, The Temple News or my internship at the Inquirer, I usually try to relax. On the weekends I love exploring the city, going to my favorite coffee shops and going to house shows with friends. I’ve also been practicing photography a lot lately. I also run a blog and do some creative writing, so that’s often how I unwind.

Q: Why did you choose art as your beat topic?

A: I chose the art beat because I enjoy the excuse to go out and explore the art scene around the city. My Facebook is always full of art events I’m interested in, but I never end up going. Having the art beat will force me to keep up with it more. Plus, I’m the deputy features editor for The Temple News, so I always have a lot of ideas for art stories and I’ve built up a great list of contacts around the city.

Q: What interests you or stands out about art over the other beat topics that you could have chosen?

A: I’ve always been interested in art and I love getting to know Philly better, so it felt like a good choice. I have plenty of ideas for stories and I like that it’s such a broad topic so I won’t get bored or run out of ideas. Plus artists generally love to talk about their work, so I’ll get to do some really fun interviews with interesting people.

Q: Have you ever covered any topics related to art, or written for any beats before?

A: Yes, I’ve been writing for the features section of The Temple News for a few years and I’ve also written art stories for various internships and other publications. I used to be the fashion beat for The Temple News and my fashion stories often connected to other forms of art, such as painting, dance and music, so I have a lot of experience writing about different art forms.

Q: Can you give me a brief sneak peek into some of your ideas for articles related to this beat?

A: I have a lot of ideas for articles this semester. I’m interested in the DIY art scene because it creates a very close-knit community of artists in Philadelphia, so I’d like to profile some artists who are doing really good work completely on their own. I would also like to do a piece on the Mural Arts Program‘s connection with colleges and look into how the murals make a first impression for college students coming to Philly for the first time.

Q: Do you consider yourself an artist?

A: Not particularly, although creative writing and poetry are still a huge part of my life.

Q: What is your favorite type of art that can be found in Philadelphia?

A: I think the murals really set Philly apart and add to the general atmosphere of the city, so I’d say they’re probably among my favorites. Philly also has a really incredible DIY music scene which I love as a college student.

Q: What is your main goal for yourself or for your beat throughout this semester?

A: My main goals include working on my photography and video skills as well as finding ways to step out of my comfort zone even in a beat I’m very familiar with.