Arts Intranet

“What is justice?” In my first year of college, I had a research assignment to choose a case study related to this question. I wrote about the need to increase equitable access to arts education in the United States as a means for social justice, and used resources from Americans for the Arts for my research. With previous experience as a visual arts student as well as an art teacher for students from underserved schools in the Washington, D.C. area, I knew the transformative power that the arts could have to empower individuals and communities. My classmates were eager during my presentation to hear more about the case for the arts as a matter of social justice, as many of them reflected that they had never thought about arts in the context of social impact or equity. Since then, I have wanted to be an advocate for the arts wherever I go, knowing that it is so intertwined with issues of equity and social justice. I have pursued ways to integrate my interests in the arts with my professional goals of advocacy and related communications fields. This summer, I had the perfect opportunity to integrate my interest in the arts with my professional goals as the Marketing and Communications intern at Americans for the Arts.

The internship program is unique because from day one, there is a high level of investment from all staff members, including the leadership team, in the experience of the interns. I have really appreciated the effort by staff to contribute as much to our learning and professional development as we contribute by being interns. For example, department meetings between interns and each department allow for us to gain a better understanding of a department’s role within the larger mission of Americans for the Arts. Diamond Robinson, this summer’s Arts Education Intern, commented that “with my goals to be in nonprofit leadership and open up my own art school, it was extremely valuable to hear insight into the work of each department, see who does what, and see how a nonprofit like Americans for the Arts is similar to an ecosystem.” Indeed, throughout the summer it was palpable how the contributions of each individual are extremely important in order for the organization to not only survive, but thrive.

Our mentors have encouraged each of us to conduct informational interviews with Americans for the Arts staff, as well as with people our supervisors might know in our fields of interest. Sarah Grant, this summer’s Arts Policy Intern with a special focus on the National Initiative for Arts and Health in the Military, wins the prize for her networking. Over the course of the summer, Sarah conducted informational interviews with at least ten Americans for the Arts employees and five from other arts organizations in the D.C. area. Sarah appreciated how supportive her supervisor was of her getting out in the city and meeting people to expand her professional network: “I feel that the coordinated nature of the internship program, and not just having individual internships, benefits us because they are thinking about the collective experience.” Leadership Alliances Intern Kate Finster also welcomed the benefit of programming designed specifically for interns, and noted that she really appreciated being a part of a cohort, especially coming to D.C. for the summer all the way from her hometown of San Diego, California.

A potential challenge for many interns, especially those of us who are more accustomed to university or school settings, is getting accustomed to working in a professional office. Whether feeling unsure about what to wear, or etiquette for communicating with colleagues, transitioning to an office space can be intimidating. Rei Ukon, the Equity in Arts Leadership Intern at the New York Office, felt nervous at the beginning of his internship having never worked in an office setting beyond working at his university. However, he said that “being treated as an adult, not just like an intern or a rising junior in college, made [him] feel like a team member” and helped build his confidence working in an office.

In addition to having a supportive environment to share ideas or ask clarifying questions related to work tasks, some of my favorite moments during the internship have been getting to know the staff and learning more about their personal and professional trajectories—whether that be through lunch and coffee dates, or taking some time during the day to talk. Building relationships with people both inside and outside of my department has made a walk throughout the hallways feel just as comfortable and fun as walking across my campus back at school.

During the summer, interns from different departments pair up and work collaboratively on a project which is presented to the staff at the end of the summer. I designed a recruitment campaign for the Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL) Internship Program in collaboration with Rei from New York. While initially unsure about how Rei and I would collaborate on a successful project and presentation working in two different cities, we both became skilled at booking conference rooms, conducting video-conference calls, and delegating responsibilities.

The joint-intern project, as well as my other work for Americans for the Arts, helped to increase my confidence related to marketing and communications practices as well as presenting to an audience. Research intern Colleen Faherty was proud of becoming “really good at Excel, really fast” over the course of the summer in order to accomplish an extensive research report for her department. Project partners Ignacio Velez (Web and Tech Intern) and Alex Paredes-Ruiz (Membership Intern) were excited about the opportunity to fill potential needs in their departments through their intern project: “I think that the work of our project was really necessary and was something that really had to be done,” Ignacio said. “It felt like we were taking a load off of somebody by creating something that can be used in the future, and that felt productive.”

It has been truly inspiring to see so many committed people working so hard and collaboratively to advance the arts in America. I am confident that the experiences I have had, skills I have developed, and the connections I have made while working as an intern at Americans for the Arts will not only help me to be a better arts advocate, but assist me in my future career endeavors.

Thank you, Americans for the Arts, from your summer 2019 interns!