The South Arts internship program provides learning opportunities and on-the-job experience to college juniors/seniors, graduate students, and recent college graduates with a professional interest in arts administration.  Interns are expected to work 15-20 hours per week, participate in daily activities, contribute skills and ideas, and produce excellent work.

Program Benefits | College Credit and/or Stipend | Qualifications | Application Deadlines | How to Apply

Program Benefits

Experience:  Interns gain valuable experience in program management, grantmaking, marketing, communications, and/or development.  Each intern, with their supervisor, develops a list of learning goals that they would like to accomplish. Interns are trained and supervised by management-level arts administration staff and, when possible, have interaction with other staff and board members. 

Each intern maintains a working portfolio, attends required meetings, and participates in mid-semester and final evaluations.  Opportunities exist to work with the following South Arts programs and services:  Performing Arts Exchange, Short Circuit - Tour of Short Films, Southeastern Visual Arts Network, SouthernArtistry.org, Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers, Southern Visions - The Southern Arts & Culture Traveling Exhibits Program and more.  

Leadership Discussions: Day-to-day participation in the organization is augmented by special sessions in which staff members discuss the dynamics of working for a regional arts organization, highlight issues facing the field, and share the inside view of their work at South Arts as well as their experiences as arts leaders.  These sessions allow interns to learn directly from South Arts staff, ask challenging questions, and address critical issues.

Networking Opportunities: South Arts encourages interns to attend meetings of the Emerging Arts Leaders of Atlanta, an initiative designed to identify and cultivate the next generation of leaders in the Metro-Atlanta arts community by providing them with networking, resource-sharing, and professional development opportunities.  By interacting with EALA members, interns will expand their professional networks in the Atlanta area and gain insight into issues facing the local arts community.

Career Support: Interns who complete the program gain a valuable professional reference from a long-standing arts organization with recognized leaders in the field.  In addition, staff is available to assess the intern's interview skills and provide feedback on his/her résumé.

College Credit and/or Stipend

Fall & Spring (10 weeks):  $500 stipend OR college credit. 
Summer (12+ weeks):   $1,000 stipend OR college credit 
Stipends will be dispensed in two installments - 50% midway through the internship and 50% upon completion.  If you wish to receive credit for your internship, please include your academic program's requirements with your application materials.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate junior/senior, graduate student, or recent college graduate (within one year).
• Experience or demonstrated interest in the arts and/or arts administration.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently as well as in a team environment.
• Ability to establish priorities and manage numerous assignments simultaneously.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (particularly Word and Excel) and experience conducting Internet-based research are required. 
• Knowledge of any of the following is desirable, but not required: Microsoft Outlook, Blackbaud/Kintera, Audacity, Facebook, YouTube, and/or Twitter.

Application Deadlines

Internship application materials are due on Friday by 5:00 p.m.

Spring (mid February - late April):  January 22, 2010

How to Apply

Submit the following in one complete package:

1. Cover letter discussing career goals, computer skills, and when you are available to start.  (Start and end dates are flexible provided that a full ten weeks are completed.)
2. Academic/Professional résumé.
3. Names and contact information for two academic and/or professional references.

Send application materials to:

 Internships
 Southern Arts Federation
 1800 Peachtree Street NW
 Suite 808
 Atlanta, Georgia 30309
 Fax: 404-873-2148, ATTN: Internships
 E-mail: Hannah Leatherbury, Subject: Internship

Preferred method of delivery is e-mail.

For questions, please contact Hannah Leatherbury at 404-201-7939.