Program Details and Downloads

This addendum to our 2020 impact report provides detailed information about the structure and timeline of the Getty Marrow internship program, including descriptions of programming elements, an outline of our application review process, and sample application forms and training materials. Our model has changed over time and was developed to operate at a large scale within the context of the arts landscape in Los Angeles. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to diversity internships, we hope the information below will help those who might be contemplating the creation of similar internship programs in the arts.

Internship Facts and Timeline

Pay: All Getty Marrow internships are paid, and for many students this is their first full time job. To determine the rate of pay, we scan the field to remain competitive in our area. Getty’s rate is set with the LA County Minimum Wage Ordinance as a floor. In addition, Getty offers host organizations a minimal stipend per intern towards overhead costs associated with hosting and supervising each student.

Work Schedule: Getty’s program takes place in the summer. Internships are offered for ten consecutive weeks, with schedules not to exceed 40 hours per week and coinciding with the regular business hours of the host organization. This schedule gives students experience managing full-time work.

Timeline: Our internships begin each year in June and conclude in August, and the exact dates are selected based on higher education calendars, which can vary. Program administration for Getty staff occurs year-round, according to the timeline below:

Application and Review Processes

LA-area arts organizations that want to host interns must submit a grant application to participate each year. The application requires a defined workplan and dedicated supervision. Prospective host organizations must also agree to provide the necessary workspace and equipment for interns to complete their projects. All applications are reviewed by an advisory committee, and we encourage transparency around selection criteria to communicate clearly to applicants the points on which their applications will be evaluated. Once grants are awarded, participating institutions are responsible for recruiting their own interns. They provide intern selection forms to Getty with demographic information about final candidates so that we can ensure program eligibility requirements are met and maintain baseline data about program participants.

Download:

• Organization Application Form
• Internship Selection Form

Supervisor Training

As confirmed by data in this impact report, supervisors are key to successful internships. Interns rely on their supervisors for routine, daily support as well as mentorship and career advice on working in the arts. To prepare supervisors to meet these needs, Getty offers a supervisor training session each year before interns begin. The orientation includes a program overview, the opportunity to ask questions, and break-out sessions led by experienced mentors who facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. In response to data collected as part of this impact report, we expanded the orientation in 2020 to add culturally responsive mentorship training and anti-racism workshops. In addition to the orientation, supervisors receive a handbook that includes key dates, mentoring tips, and reference articles.

Download:

• Supervisor Handbook Table of Contents

Internship Components

The core of each internship is the time spent at the host institution learning alongside supervisors and other colleagues. To deepen interns’ exposure to the arts and grow their networks, students also participate in several other program components outside of their home organization. This helps those who might be interested in pursuing arts careers connect with BIPOC professionals working throughout the local arts sector in a variety of different institutions and job functions. Interns throughout the years have attributed great value to these events and the power of seeing and meeting individuals who “look like them” and are working in the arts.

Learning Communities

One advantage of operating an internship program at a larger scale like Getty’s is that this creates instant networks for participating students. All interns meet peers at other institutions through Learning Communities. These small, regionally based clusters are facilitated by a Learning Community Leader who often works at one of the participating internship organizations. The leaders are generally mid-career arts professionals, the majority of whom identify as people of color, and they introduce interns in each group to each other and organize two events for them during the internship period. Events include behind-the-scenes tours of collections or exhibitions, conversations with arts professionals, artist studio visits, gallery walks, and more. Learning Community leaders are compensated for their work in planning events and facilitating discussion and networking among the interns.

Download:

• Learning Community Hub Leader Handbook Table of Contents

Arts Summit

Each summer all interns participate in a dedicated professional development day called Arts Summit. A keynote talk or performance at the beginning of the day brings all of the interns together to inspire and prepare them for a day of engagement and learning. Then, the interns participate in a series of career sessions that introduce them to different careers in the arts.

They talk in small groups with conservators, curators, art historians, civic arts managers, arts journalists, and more to hear about their career trajectories and work experiences and have a chance to ask questions. They also take guided tours in the Getty Museum galleries and visit onsite conservation labs and exhibition design studios.

Download:

• Sample Arts Summit Program

Final Evaluation

We solicit intern feedback through surveys that ask students to rate their internship experience and tell us how the program can be improved. Survey questions are grouped to give feedback on the following areas: job duties and work environment; supervision; internship experience; Arts Summit programming; and Learning Communities. This information is used to adjust program operations and content. Completion of the survey is required and happens at the end of the internship.

Alumni Engagement

Engagement with interns continues after their internships end. At the end of each summer, interns transition into being program alumni and can participate in dedicated forums for them to stay in touch with each other and with Getty.

Building Connections

All alumni are invited to join closed social media groups and sign up for an alumni e-newsletter. These tools help foster and maintain relationships formed during the program and seed new connections. Alumni have shared that maintaining relationships with Getty is of strong interest, so we also host periodic onsite events to bring alumni together as a community.

Professional Development

Alumni who are pursuing careers in the visual arts may participate in intermittent programs that boost their professional development. We provide support for these individuals to attend annual conferences of professional organizations such as the California Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Curators, and the American Alliance of Museums. During the conference, alumni meet each other and participate in networking and mentoring events. Getty has also funded periodic leadership development opportunities in which a cohort of alumni complete a sustained program together. These have included partnerships with the Museum Leadership Institute at Claremont Graduate University and the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, which offers a sister internship program to Getty’s that is dedicated to the performing, literary, and civic arts.