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Education Internship - Connections (spring 2019)

Type: Internships [View all]
Posted by: Asheville Art Museum
Deadline: Thu, November 1st, 2018

Education Internship – Connections

Semester: Spring 2019

Academic standing: Current graduate or post-graduate student preferred; recent graduates or advanced undergraduates may be considered

Major(s): Art education, art history, art therapy, geriatrics, gerontology, health professions, museum education, nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry, psychology, public health, public policy, recreational therapy, social work, sociology, studio art, or related field

Primary purpose: To assist Education staff with the planning and implementation of Connections, a new program serving community-dwelling adults with mild to moderate memory loss and their care partners living in Western North Carolina through the arts

Essential functions: In spring 2019, the new Asheville Art Museum will open after a major renovation and construction project. The project will radically transform the interiors of the Museum’s North and East Wings, rebuild the Atrium, add a new suite of galleries, and provide a revitalized backdrop for how the Museum interacts with its patrons and visitors. Read more about our construction project.

      The NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation awarded the Museum a prestigious Ribbon of Hope grant to launch Connections, a new program serving community-dwelling adults with mild to moderate memory loss and their care partners living in Western North Carolina through the arts, when the Museum reopens. This program builds and reinforces connections between program participants + art, artists, and ideas, through personally meaningful discussions and activities; adults with memory loss + their care partners, through stimulating, in-the-moment outings; adults with memory loss and their care partners + the Asheville Art Museum (staff, volunteers, Collection, and special exhibitions), through regular visits and programs; program participants + peers, through social interactions with those who are experiencing similar challenges resulting from memory loss; and brain health + social participation, through multisensory engagement with art. Each monthly Connections program will include an open house, a guided experience, a related activity, and an optional lunch.

      Connections is based on similar programs taking place in art museums in the United States and around the world that address the need for community gatherings and safe spaces to stimulate the minds of adults with memory loss (i.e. living with Alzheimer’s Disease, any form of dementia, and other memory loss), their care partners, and museum staff and volunteers. Connections serves the Museum’s vision of transforming lives through art, and its mission of engaging and inspiring individuals and enriching community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

      The intern will gain valuable professional experience by working alongside staff in the Education Department to:

1. Develop a contact list of adult day programs, caregiver-support programs, councils on aging, memory-care organizations/providers, and other resource providers. Plan informational meeting(s) for, and meet individually with, resource providers to introduce Connections, answer questions, and distribute materials for adults with memory loss and their care partners. Keep resource providers updated on program launch and upcoming programs.

2. Participate in Connections training for Museum staff, docents, volunteers, and interested community members.

3. Identify individual and groups of artworks in the Collection and special exhibitions for staff and volunteers to engage with on tours. Assemble study materials, and develop sample lines of inquiry aligned with best practices in museum programming for adults with memory loss.

4. Develop a contact list of potential contractors (musicians, studio artists, etc.) to lead activities that complement gallery tours.

5. Assist with participant registration, preparation for, and implementation of inaugural monthly programs.

6. Explore, and advise staff on, avenues of future growth for Connections.

7. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Work station: Education Department intern/volunteer computers, offsite as needed

Schedule: TBD with Museum staff, approximately 220 total hours (15-20 hours/week × 12-15 weeks, February – May 2018

Compensation: $2400 stipend; candidates who qualify for the Rosemary Kennedy Internship Initiative (see below) are eligible for an additional stipend

Application instructions/deadline: The priority application deadline for this internship is November 1, 2018; applications received after that date may be considered (please email kmcmillan@ashevilleart.org for more information). Candidates should submit all required application materials for an internship at the Asheville Art Museum (more information at www.ashevilleart.org/education/get-involved/internship-program/) as well as include the following additional information in their letter of interest:

1. Address their specific interest in the transformative power of art for adults with memory loss and their care partners

2. Detail any training or experience that has prepared them to engage with Connections program participants, original artworks, in-gallery conversations, and/or lesson planning

3. Describe how the Education Internship – Connections will help them further their career goals

4. Indicate their ability to legally operate a personal and/or Museum vehicle in the state of North Carolina during the internship period

Rosemary Kennedy Internship Initiative: The Asheville Art Museum participates in the Rosemary Kennedy Internship Initiative, which provides internship and pre-professional training opportunities for youth with disabilities, ages 15 – 22. Programs include transition to work and pre-professional career development opportunities designed to enhance the potential for future employment in the arts, arts education, or arts management. Stipends are provided for Rosemary Kennedy Internship Initiative interns. To apply, candidates should indicate their eligibility and wish to be considered on page 3 of the Museum’s internship application form.

Posted on Fri, September 7th, 2018
Expires on Thu, November 1st, 2018

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