multicultural arts management internship program
Frequently Asked Questions
When Sibyl Simon, the founder of the Arts & Business Council of New York retired in 1986, a fundraiser was held to celebrate her 31 years of service to the organization with a new initiative. Sibyl felt that the management of arts organization in NYC did not represent the great diversity of the city’s citizens and requested the funding go to supporting a multicultural internship program. The internship program ran through a few permutations in the next decade but faded as the initial funding expired.
The program was revived in 2000 with the generous support of Con Edison and the program has run continuously since then. Additional support is provided by the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency; and the National Endowment for the Arts.
How many students and organizations currently participate?
The program currently has support for 10 matches—that’s 10 interns, 10 hosts, and 10 mentors.
The Multicultural Arts Management Internship aims to promote diversity in arts management careers and to provide young people who have an interest in a career in either the arts or business with a hands-on experience in administration and business of the nonprofit arts sector.
How is the program structured?
Each summer, the Arts & Business Council of New York matches undergraduate students with non-profit arts organizations who need their help and with corporate mentors who can guide their personal and professional growth.
Each intern works full-time under the supervision of an experienced arts administrator who serves as an arts mentor. Interns also have the opportunity to explore a cross-section of New York’s arts community through site visits to all the other host organizations and other cultural and professional development activities.
Interns are also matched with business mentors. Through regular meetings and conversations about the internship as well as personal goals and interests, these business professionals guide and advise the students throughout the internship, provide insight into the business world, and demonstrate how individuals with varying careers and backgrounds can support the arts as volunteers.
How are host organizations selected?
ABC/NY selects both student and arts organization participants through a competitive application, screening, and selection process. In 2009, 30 NYC arts organizations applied for what were ultimately 11 intern placements. ABC/NY matches students with host organizations based on students’ interests and related experience/skills as they relate to the host organizations’ proposed projects. As a key feature of this program, ABC/NY requires that each project be challenging and substantive, and not only clerical in nature. Prospective host organizations are required to submit a detailed description of a proposed project that will afford students hands-on exposure to the business of the arts.
Host organizations represent a diverse cross-section of the New York City nonprofit arts community. They are selected based upon the scope of their projects and the existence of a positive, nurturing environment in which the intern can gain experience in arts management. Individual organizations and projects will vary each year. See a list of past hosts.
The Multicultural Arts Management Internship program is designed to diversify the field of arts management and thus seeks candidates from traditionally under-represented backgrounds in the field, e.g. individuals of African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latina/o, or Native American descent. In its review of candidates, ABC/NY will give preference to these applicants.
Eligible applicants must fulfill the following criteria:
- Be available during the entire length of the program;
- Be a U.S. citizen; and
- Be a current undergraduate student. Seniors who will have graduated as of June of the program year are eligible to apply, but should explain why an internship experience (as opposed to full-time employment) relates to their future goals.
Successful candidates also demonstrate:
- an interest in arts management; and
- arts/business/marketing coursework, professional work, or extracurricular activities.
Do interns have to have specific majors?
No. The Arts & Business Council of New York builds bridges between the arts and business communities for the benefit of both. We know that diversity in the workplace is about more than just ethnic backgrounds, it is about bringing together a range of perspectives spanning all areas of academia. Our internships are appropriate for all academic disciplines. All that is required is an interest in arts management.
I am not a current student—can I apply?
The program is only open to current undergraduate students.
I am an international student—can I apply?
This program is for students who are U.S. citizens and may legally work in the U.S.
How should I submit my letters of recommendation?
Letters of recommendation may be mailed directly to Arts & Business Council, Attention: Intern Program or e-mailed to interns@artsandbusiness-ny.org. Either way, they should come directly from the recommender. If this is not possible for some reason we can also accept recommendations in a sealed individual envelope enclosed with rest of the student application.
Do I have to have an interview?
After the initial review of the applications ABC/NY will contact qualified host and intern candidates to schedule interviews.
Interviews of qualified host applicants will take place at the arts organizations to allow for a preliminary site visit and assessment of the applicant as potential intern host. These interviews usually take place in February/March of the program year.
Qualified intern applicants will be contacted about scheduling an interview. We strongly recommend making arrangements for in-person interviews. We try to schedule the review process around the time of most schools' spring breaks to make travel to New York more feasible. If it is logistically or geographically impossible to have an in-person interview than a phone interview may be arranged.
ABC/NY seeks not only the best talent, but also the best fit between an intern and a host organization. Matches between interns and host organizations are based not only on the needs and merits of an organization’s proposed project/s, but also on the talents and interests of intern applicants.
That said, developing good arts management skills doesn’t mean you have to stay within one arts discipline. An internship with the development team of a museum could give you grant research skills that help you land a job with an opera company someday. And a visual art history major with curatorial ambitions could learn a lot about what makes an exhibit popular by spending a summer in the marketing department of a contemporary dance company.
What are some examples of past projects worked on by interns?
Over 10 weeks, interns complete projects in marketing and communications, development and fundraising, event planning, audience development, community outreach, and more.
For example, a recent intern with a contemporary dance company assisted with promotions for the company’s new production by organizing an online photo gallery, compiling press clippings, editing web videos, and researching and writing an educational study guide to accompany the production on tour. She also helped the company implement a studio rental marketing campaign; reviewed and summarized electronic donor campaigns; and assisted with the end of fiscal year merchandise reconciliation.
Another intern with an art museum worked on a cultural tourism initiative to promote the museum to local businesses and other cultural organizations. She assisted in organizing a small annual film festival and coordinated product donations from the community for the events. She also created a short curriculum guide for an upcoming exhibit.
Will I get to paint, curate, dance, sing, compose, etc. during the internship?
This is an arts management internship so it focuses on the skills used to bring art to audiences, not on making art. The program is a great way to sample the “behind the scenes” world of the arts and it will give interns a better idea of what it takes to be a successful artist, but it is not a studio. Of course, there is often room for creativity in the administration of arts organization, and the City itself is a host of inspiration.
Is housing provided to interns?
Housing is not provided, but ABC/NY may provide accepted applicants with a list of summer housing suggestions.
Transportation to/from New York City is not provided, but each intern receives MTA MetroCards for unlimited travel on subways and buses within the city throughout the 10-week internship.
Host organization supervisors will meet regularly with interns to define, review, and evaluate project and personal goals. Host organizations, interns, and mentors are each required to complete interim and final evaluation surveys distributed by ABC/NY to assess the program.
How can I apply to the ABC/NY Multicultural Arts Management Internship Program?
Intern candidates should download and read the Program Guidelines before completing the Intern Application.
Host candidates should download the Host Guidelines and Application.
Please note, applications for both interns and hosts are due in February - check the Guidelines for the deadline.
When do I find out if I am accepted and who my host/intern match is?
Accepted hosts and interns will be notified in April of the program year (check the Guidelines for this year's dates). ABC/NY will contact you first by phone or e-mail to offer you a spot in our program and tell you the name of your host and supervisor or intern. We will then mail both hosts and interns further information about their match along with a program contract to be signed and returned to ABC/NY.
This isn’t exactly what I’m looking for--what other internships do you recommend?
The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, offers internships year round to college juniors/seniors, graduate students, and recent college graduates (within two years of graduation) who are interested in beginning careers in performing arts management and/or arts education.
Getty Center and the Getty Villa offers summer internships to undergraduates of culturally diverse backgrounds who reside or attend college in Los Angeles County.
The Americans for the Arts job bank lists a variety of arts internships across the country.
The New York Foundation for the Arts has a classified section with various opportunities and is especially good for finding internships with galleries in New York.
Occasionally, ABC/NY cannot match an outstanding intern candidate with a program host organization and will recommend the student contact other specific arts organizations to explore possible internships outside of the program.
Other questions? E-mail interns@artsandbusiness-ny.org.