On Thursday, June 20, 2024, interns and staff from the Exploring the Arts (ETA) Arts Internship Program (AIP) visited the College of Arts and Letters at Cal State LA. Founded by the late legendary musician Tony Bennett and his wife and former public school educator, Susan Bennedetto, Exploring the Arts works to increase equitable access to arts education in historically under-served schools. The Arts Internship Program, open to high school students within ETA’s network of partner schools in LAUSD and PUSD, provides students who face structural barriers with paid work experience, mentorship, and learning opportunities in the arts that empower self-identity and help build valuable skills for the future.
Interns are placed by ETA in paid internships at arts organizations throughout LA County, including the Armory Center for Art, Heidi Duckler Dance, the Robey Theatre, LA Commons, and Vidiots, among others. In addition to their work at their internship site, students in the program participate in ETA programming, called Learning Labs, where they visit arts and cultural institutions, local colleges, and creative workplaces, exploring creative post-secondary options and gaining skills. The visit to Cal State LA was the interns’ second of four learning labs for the summer session.
Interns and staff were greeted in the morning by Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters Dr. Katherine Weiss, who guided the group through a tour of the four arts departments: Television, Film, and Media Studies, Theatre and Dance, Music, and Art. During the tour interns met students, faculty, and staff from each department who shared information about the various areas of study, facilities, internship and career opportunities, and more. After the tour, interns had lunch with faculty, staff, and students who generously shared their experiences, educational paths, and plans for the future.
In the afternoon, ETA staff, Program Manager Maya Mackrandilal and Coordinator Jessica Delgadillo, conducted a workshop with interns to help them prepare to be peer mentors as they enter their second year of the two-year program. As high school seniors, they will help support the juniors entering the program in the fall of 2024, building a sense of community within the program.
Exploring the Arts and the College of Arts and Letters at Cal State LA look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership in their shared goal of increasing access to the arts.
AIP Interns work diligently on their Self Love Tool Kit. Using a variety of mediums such as pencil drawing, utilizing color with markers and colored pencils, and collage, interns created a small foldable book of different personal self care tools discussed during the ETA Peer Mentor Workshop. Interns can refer back to their Self Love Tool Kit book when they are in need of grounding and support during their Senior year and as they transition into the role of peer mentor for an incoming Junior intern in the fall.
AIP Interns visit the Cal State LA Department of TV, Film, & Media Studies and learn about the recording room from Jeff Fust, the department Broadcast Engineer. Many students are interested in pursuing a career in film and were excited to learn about the plethora of opportunities offered to Cal State LA film students.
Intern group photo on the balcony of the Department of TV, Film, & Media Studies building with Program Manager Maya Mackrandilal, Coordinator Jessica Delgadillo, and Dr. Weiss. (from left to right)
AIP Interns visit the Cal State LA Department of Theatre and Dance and receive a tour of the theater and prop and costume room from Department Chair, Meredith Greenburg.
AIP Interns visit the CSULA Music Department. Students had the opportunity to explore the band/ensemble and choir classrooms and learn about unique opportunities within the music department.
AIP Interns visit the Cal State LA Department of Art. Many of the interns are interested in studying and pursuing animation and were particularly excited to tour and learn about the Stop Motion Animation Lab from Department Chair, Jimmy Moss.
AIP Interns tour the Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery. Gallery Director, Dr. Mika Cho, spoke to the interns about her role as gallery director, as well as about the current exhibition, Back to Basics: Contemporary Art from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.