Thursday, July 30, 2020
The Arts Internship Program is a paid summer internship program that provides high school students with practical job experience in arts-related positions. Interns explore the arts in an in-depth and applicable way while also gaining 21st century job skills. For many students, these internships serve as their first paid job experience.
Milwaukee Recreation has partnered with nine arts organizations for this program - Artists Working in Education, Casa Romero, Lead2Change, Lynden Sculpture Garden, TBEY, TRUE Skool, UWM Peck School of the Arts, Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, and Walnut Way - who have combined to host 33 interns this summer.
Though many of the typical events and opportunities have been canceled, the program and hosts organizations have created a hybrid curriculum that combines virtual and in-person work for 70 percent of the positions. The in-person work involves supporting arts-based day camps for children or creating art kits for distribution to parents and families.
"We powered through it because that is what we do here at the [Walker's Point Center for the Arts]," arts intern Alex Gramajo said. "Every single person here is amazing."
In place of in-person trainings throughout the program, each intern is tasked with completing a series of reflections based on several prompts, including "A Day in the Life of...," an interview with an arts professional, and a takeaway from their internship experience. Interns had the choice to submit a video or written content, and were encouraged to flash their creativity!
You can find the full catalog of Summer 2020 Reflections here. Below are some reflection highlights from the program thus far.
A Day in the Life of Alex Gramajo
Walker's Point Center for the Arts
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Earlier this month, Liliana, an ArtsECO intern and a student at Reagan HS, documents a day at her first internship!
A Day in the Life of Molly Wardius
Lyden Sculpture Garden
Clarke Hamilton interviews Black arts advocate Brad Bernard
Lead2Change
Clarke sits down with Brad Bernard, a Black arts advocate, community arts educator, and a muralist in Milwaukee.
Zeniyah Williams interviews Aziza Courtney of Jewels of the Divine
TRUE Skool
Catcher Stodola interviews artist Maria Knier
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Catcher speaks with local artist Maria Knier about Maria's Totum Fauna series, and the impact the totum have on Catcher's family and home.
Casa Romero
Fatima, an incoming freshman at Marquette University, details her experiences, projects, and challenges through her Casa Romero internship thus far.
Adrean Maxwell interviews dancer Tisiphani Mayfield
TBEY Arts Center