Fall 2020 Studio Art Internship
Internship Description
Part-time
Unpaid
During the School Year or Summer (8 weeks)
On-site or remote
Qualification
- Must be a college student (preferably Junior or Senior)
- Self-directed and motivated
- Excellent work ethic
- Versatile
- Excellent communication and public relation skills
Objective
To create a visual arts-based project around one of our four values, in collaboration with one of our partners.
Core Values:
- Creative Capital: Design a project that actively seeks to solve the economic challenges of our geopolitical sphere in the rural south through the arts
- Praxis: Proactively build a better future for our collective flourishing in the rural South
- Cross-Sector Collaboration: Work with our community partners to creatively elevate their work
- Inclusivity: design around inclusive dialogue the the public sphere
Partners:
- The Industrial Commons
- Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
- Little Guatemala
- Burke Literacy Council
- NVERSE architects, pllc
- Burke County Public Library
- Select 2000
- Simply Green Recycling
- Material Return
Project Examples:
Creative Capital + Burke County Public Library
Worker’s Legacy Project: Textile and furniture manufacturing was once the economic engine of this region. How do global supply chains, COVID, immigration, evolving technology, the use of rural community to host data farms and pharmaceutical monopolies inspire the reinvention of work in this region? Worker’s Legacy Project, designed in 2018, draws inspiration from the past to inform the future through an installation at the Burke County History Museum.
Cross-Sector Collaboration + Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
Realidades del Sur: How do art institutions remain relevant in a digital age? The North Carolina Museum of art is sponsoring this mural project that celebrates Hispanic artists (in this case artists Alexa Eliana and Rodrigo Pacheco) and pairs them with conservation experts to study biodiversity within the Catawba River Basin while also designing student programing and public activities around this event.
Inclusivity + The Industrial Commons + Little Guatemala + Select 2000
Hometown Walkabout: With a confederate statue on the downtown square, how do we celebrate the contributions and achievements of all our citizens? Hometown Walkabout was designed in 2019 as a walking tour of historical sites and public art celebrating ethnic diversity in Morganton to increase civil dialogue and inclusive thinking.
Praxis + Catawba Riverkeepers Foundation
Catawba Scavenger Hunt: How can we collectively make better decisions today, to save our environment for future generations? The Catawba Scavenger hunt was an interactive Scavenger Hunt in 2019 that allowed students/community to engage with stewardship principals in a meaningful, fun way.
View previous projects and events at https://www.tosstudio.org/hunt
2020/2021 Priorities:
- Low-grade paper waste with our collection of 10,000+ books
- U.S.-based supply chains in the wake of COVID. Work with fabric waste with our partners at Material Return
Six Impossible Things, a Movable Feast, Landfill
2019 at ART/RE/ART pop-up
Morganton, NC
Designed and built by highschool students attending TOSSafter
Books, a satellite dish, mixed polyester and cotton fabrics, recycled paper, yarn
more paper, cardboard, ink, plastic, subatomic particles
Expectations
Interns will be expected to work in our studio and on-site at set hours (determined by the intern and studio coordinator). Activities will involve: planning, designing, and executing a studio art project in collaboration with TOSS and/or our partnering organizations.
This project will require you to
- Conduct Research
- Manage a collaborative design process
- Facilitate material acquisitions
- Lead volunteers in producing and installing your project
- Coordinating and hosting a collaborative event
- Gathering public input at the conclusion of your project
Internship Policies
- Attending (virtually or in person) weekly check-ins with Internship supervisor
- Attending (virtually or in person) three mentorship meetings throughout the term
- Researching, designing, executing, and documenting agreed upon project
- Maintaining logs and time-sheets
Accessibility
Here at TOSS we believe that everyone deserves a seat at the table. In order to provide equal internship placement and advancement opportunities to all individuals; decisions at TOSS will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. TOSS does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, HIV status, military status, and any other category protected by law.