Bloomberg Arts Internship 2023 Program Launch
Eighty rising seniors from 12 New York City career and technical education public high schools participated in a full day of program activities during the launch of the Summer 2023 Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) at The Metropolitan Museum on June 29.
BAI Teens entranced by Velázquez’s portrait of Juan de Pareja during a guided tour at The Met.
The group was greeted by BAI Program Manager Sejin Park, followed by remarks from Whitney Donhauser, Deputy Director and Chief Advancement Officer at The Met. Anita Contini, Program Lead for Arts and Culture at Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Julia Friedman, from the Bloomberg Arts Team, welcomed the new interns, followed by Tom Cahill, President of Studio Institute (Studio).
Michele Sossou, Associate for Teen Programs at Studio, presented the day’s agenda to the teens, who will be working in paid internships at 36 arts and cultural organizations across the boroughs throughout the summer.
Exploring the Arts as a Career Path
The BAI program provides meaningful workforce experience and prepares students to apply and transition into college and beyond through college-readiness preparation and professional development training. With the support of college mentors and writing coaches, students also strengthen their oral and written communication skills.
BAI also includes opportunities for teens to develop their knowledge of New York City’s vibrant cultural scene through panel discussions featuring local artists and arts professionals, studio visits, and trips to other arts organizations. For many students, the summer internship is life changing.
During the morning orientation, we were pleased to see a special guest in the audience: Agnes Gund, founder of Studio in a School. Over the course of the day, the students participated in guided museum tours led by educators at The Met and met in small groups to engage in art study and classroom sessions led by Studio artist instructors and staff, helping to prepare them for working in professional arts environments.
In the afternoon, BAI teens were treated to an engaging and informative presentation by Diana Al-Hadid, a Syrian-born American artist who currently lives and works in New York. Describing her interest in exploring “anthropomorphic moments” and working with materials in new ways through process-based investigation, Diana presented slides of her large-scale sculptures and wall hangings, which included work in fiberglass, polymer, steel, and plaster.
Artist Diana Al-Hadid describes her interest in exploring “anthropomorphic moments.”
A valuable summer experience
The teens also had an opportunity to hear from Enoch Parmer, who was a BAI intern at HERE Arts Center in Manhattan from summer 2021 through May 2022. A rising sophomore majoring in Urban Planning at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Enoch is spending this summer as an Arts Team intern at Bloomberg Philanthropies—a result of his hard work and the networks he forged with Bloomberg staff as a BAI intern in 2021.
Describing his most valuable experience as an intern at HERE as “working in an office at a ‘real job,’” Enoch imparted some final words of advice to the 2023 interns. “Don’t be shy about talking to people in your organization. Make your voice heard—and don’t be afraid to take up space!”
Enoch Parmer, a BAI 2021–22 alum, describes his current summer position as a Bloomberg Arts Team Intern with Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Watch for More News This Summer
We look forward to hearing about the work the BAI teens are doing at their host sites this summer as they explore careers in the arts sector. Learn more about the Bloomberg Arts Internship program.