Lily's Story: Arts Management Internship in Chicago

This is Lily!

Lily is a Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who joined the ArtBound Initiative program and completed an Arts Management internship at Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago. The Center is a leading non-profit arts organization that connects artists and the community through exhibitions, classes, and public programs. Following her internship, Lily was hired part-time as a Marketing Assistant at the Center!

Read more about her experience below.

Could you describe what your day-to-day looks like at HPAC?

My internship placement was at Hyde Park Art Center as a Finance and Operations Management Intern. The environment of The Center is truly amazing, and I felt like I was being welcomed into a network of a large group of friends with amazing teamwork. I felt like my opinion and I were valued, and never felt that I was in a hostile work environment. Since I was positioned at the front desk, that is where a lot of my responsibilities fell. My responsibilities included but were not subjected to:

• Managed multiple company accounts ensuring smooth communication with the public across various platforms

• Scheduled and efficiently reserved all incoming event space requests

• Managed the front desk, handling all questions or inquiries that come in whether in person or via phone

• Created spreadsheet rosters as well as course pages on the company’s website for both the summer and fall course terms

• Registered bills, managed transactions, and ensured secure payment transfers for employees

How do you think this internship will impact your career?

So far this internship has positively impacted my career. I wasn’t sure what my next steps were for after my internship or where the trajectory of my career was heading. Fortunately, I was invited back for a part time position at The Center. As I step into my new role, I’m glad to say that I am still part of such an amazing and ever growing community and that I’m excited to reach new leaps and bounds within the workforce. 

How would you describe the way ArtBound Initiative helped you the most?

I would say the way Artbound Initiative helped me the most was definitely being the point of contact in communication with Hyde Park Art Center. My internship wasn’t a listing that The Center had posted on their website or had publicly announced, but was able to come to fruition through Artbound’s program. A lot of job offers at the moment are through connections only, and Artbound helped be that connection for me. It allowed for me to be bolder in my approaches as I knew that they were there to have my back.

Artbound Initiative has also been extremely helpful in terms of communication. Emails were always answered swiftly and kindly, and the ABI team has truly been amazing to work with. Additionally, follow-up emails made me feel as though they truly care for me and my progress.

I feel like ABI did a really good job at supporting and preparing me for the workforce, and communicated really well along the way.

Lily

Arts Management Internship | Hyde Park Art Center

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Interested in the program but don't know where to start? Check your eligibility here!

ArtBound Initiative is a fee-based global internship program for creatives. We prepare students for their careers through an online coaching curriculum and by helping them secure an internship in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, London, Berlin, Melbourne, Sydney, and Virtually. With an expansive network of leading creative companies, our program provides access to creative industries that are notoriously insular.

Read more about ArtBound Initiative Chicago Internships here.

Questions? Contact us at info@artboundinitiative.com