Culture Corps

…but never in the arts sector, and I am someone who absolutely loves theater & performance so I wanted to try to work in that area before continuing on in academia to see if it was something I would prefer to do. Frankly, I just love the arts, and I wanted to spend my summer working with an organization that worked on spreading theater to the wider community!

…and what drew me to Culture Corps is that I’ve always interested in the behind-the-scenes effort of planning museum exhibitions and the work that goes into continuing a collection, connecting with artists, and curating the works.

…an internship in arts and culture would be a perfect way for me to transition out of college and into a career in the area I have been studying.

…did not leave much room for taking any semester-long art classes. An internship over the summer was the perfect solution for me to pursue an arts-related program as well as receive non-major credit.

…directly under the supervision of the Founder / President of the Museum, researching pieces and artists, working directly with other interns, communal discussions, and—on occasion—putting up and striking exhibitions.

…I help reach out to tell Detroit about our programs, and summarize data from our past performances. Occasionally I attend shows and other events. My recent projects involve heading summer recruitment for our fall season and planning our playwriting/songwriting summer program.

…available for you and get to connect with people who could be the complete opposite of you but still manage to maintain a great connection with. You learn skills that are applicable in the real world and are put in situations no other place can put you in.

…make some ceramic tiles. I check in with my colleagues from each department and ask if they need help that day. I usually do some planning on my computer for the apprenticeship program that I am assisting.

…for artists to receive funding and other resources), managing finances, and doing readings as a means of enriching my understanding of the artist’s background. I’ve also had a business trip in Chicago where I learned how to mount a photo and create a frame from scratch, which was very interesting and fun.

…spreadsheets and Asana now. I’ve made myself busy reorganizing any data I can get my hands on to make it more comprehensive for the team, and I’m proud that it’s paying off. I’m also improving on my group planning skills. It’s surprising how many people have to be involved on any one project, and you should never expect to be on your own.

…QuickBooks and what a nonprofit’s accounting information looks like. Additionally, coming into the internship I was already very familiar with Excel but I have become even more experienced with the software. Further, I have learned a lot about facilitating grants and the importance of grant language.

…running a dance school, especially a successful one. The studio pushes a lot of content out of their Instagram account and it allows for more engagement of the dance students and their parents. I learned how to take effective meeting minutes and pitch ideas to a group (have all the parts ready before presenting so the idea is fully thought out).

…ordering merchandise, event planning, and how the audition/callback process of a small professional theatre works. I’ve also gotten to learn about Actors’ Equity and the hiring process for directors, stage managers, and other production team members.