Photographic Memories

What do the New York Knicks City Hall Ceremony, an Alex Warren concert, and Elie Pichanick ’27’s internship have in common? They all took place at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City. During Pichanick’s time as a photography student associate at the Garden, her camera lens caught flashes of concerts, watch parties, and other events at and around the legendary venue.

“I really like having the chance to not only work with other artists, but to play a role in the documentation of their own experiences onstage,” she explains. “I think MSG is such a special place in the sense that it’s a milestone for a lot of artists when they play there, and you get to document this incredible moment for them.”

Pichanick’s longstanding passion for photography began with an analog photography elective she took in middle school. “I loved it,” she says, adding that she completed most of the course with her mom’s 1960s Nikon. “The experience of being so hands-on with the image-making process in the darkroom [was amazing].… even as a 13-year-old, I was like, ‘Okay, I have to continue this.’”

She followed her passion to a performing and fine arts high school in her home state of Pennsylvania. When the pandemic hit, she was undeterred: instead, she began experimenting with digital cameras, going on photo walks and taking portraits of her twin sister. “We had no one to see, nowhere to go, but I knew that I still had to continue taking pictures.”

After a year at Bennington College in Vermont, a semester off, and some part-time classwork at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Pichanick arrived at Smith as a transfer student in January of 2025. “I was drawn to the fact that it’s a women’s college. I love that it’s unlike anything else, and also how driven Smithies are. I just really felt like it was a place where I would belong.” 

She smiles, then adds, “And I was right.”

Pichanick, who is studying studio art and is photo editor for the student newspaper The Sophian, had known about the internships offered at MSG for a few years. She kept her focus on landing one while continuing to hone her craft by photographing concerts and sporting events. Finally, one day while eating lunch with a friend in Washburn House, she got a call offering her a position as a photography student associate. “I remember feeling like I was almost going to drop the phone. I was so moved by the fact that they’d chosen to bring me on.”

Pichanick’s days at the Garden varied greatly: she’d organize archived photos, assist with shoots, shadow concerts, study her mentors’ editing techniques, and shoot events herself. Surprisingly, one of her favorite shoots didn’t actually happen at MSG but right next door, at a Knicks watch party at Plaza 33, an outdoor space that regularly hosts free events open to the public. After covering a 5 Seconds of Summer concert, Pichanick and two MSG employees ran outside to photograph crowd reactions to the last seven minutes of Game Five of the NBA Finals, where the Knicks went on to win their first championship in 53 years. 

“The people who come to Plaza 33 are diehard fans. Seeing them experience that was so cool, and such an incredible environment to be a part of.”

Pichanick’s post-graduation plans are still up in the air, but her mentors and peers at MSG were crucial in creating not only a memorable summer, but an example of the type of environment she wants in a future career. “All of the creatives [I worked with] weren’t just collaborative; they were so supportive. They’re really talented, incredibly kind, and did everything they could to help me flourish.”