Cultivating Creative Futures: UNC Charlotte Students Thrive in Uptown Cultural Internships
At the College of Arts + Architecture at UNC Charlotte, our students are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the bustling cultural landscape of Charlotte. Nestled in the heart of this vibrant city, our campus offers unparalleled opportunities for students to engage with leading cultural institutions, gaining invaluable real-world experience through internships. Every semester, our students collaborate with renowned museums, galleries, and arts organizations in uptown Charlotte, honing their skills and building professional networks. Here, we celebrate the stories and successes of our talented students as they embark on transformative internships that shape their future careers.
Hear from past interns!
Jennie Keophaphone
Arts + Innovation Intern at the McColl Center
Major: BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Interactive Programming
Graduation Year: 2025
Jennie primarily assisted with creating social media posts and collaborating with other interns in designing a press kit. She also did tasks such as organizing and filing data through spreadsheets, along with creating labels to mount for exhibition pieces.
“Throughout my internship, I’ve enjoyed working with many different people, so I’ve been able to see exactly how a non-profit like the McColl Center runs. Also, having the opportunity to be surrounded by such creative and talented people has been an amazing experience.”
Andrea Margaret Diaz
Graphic Design Intern at McColl Center
Major: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
Graduation Year: Spring 2023
Andrea was responsible for creating important documents for the company, ranging from art lists for the artwork of the Artists-in-Residence, brochures/flyers for events, and signs to catch the attention of visitors at the McColl Center. She also took on the responsibility of instructing creativity camps, giving tours, setting up exhibitions, and collaborating with the Artists-in-Residence for workshops.
“From this internship, I have learned what it’s like to collaborate with not only faculty but also established artists,” she shares. “I was able to witness and get a further understanding of different artists’ processes and various personalities. This experience has given me further insight into what it’s like in the professional work environment, practicing work ethic and time management, and utilizing the company’s branding and aesthetic in design.”
“The staff and space of the McColl Center are probably one of the most friendliest and welcoming environments I’ve ever worked in. When I first came in for orientation, I felt so comfortable in the space because the entire team was so supporting and welcoming. I had no fear in voicing my suggestions, as everyone was so communicative and flexible,” she explains.
Danielle Arias
McColl Center for Arts + Innovation Intern
Major: Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media
Graduation Year: Spring 2023
I’ve learned a lot about the growing relationship between technology and art. It was so cool to see my skill set and knowledge of digital media being used to create amazing artwork. I also learned a lot about how a contemporary art space functions. My primary responsibilities included administrative tasks, helping with workshops and event planning, and working one-on-one with the artists in residence.
The people at the McColl Center are so kind and professional. They have set a great example of how an organization should be run. I enjoyed getting to know the artists and seeing how they view and navigate the art world. I’m so excited that the McColl Center has offered to extend my internship another semester! I am so excited to meet the new resident artists and continue to learn about the operations of an artist residency program. I will also be assisting a Charlotte-based artist in January and my own work will be displayed at the Student Union this semester!
May Makhani Bahizad
Charlotte Symphony’s Learning and Community Engagement Intern
Major: Bachelor of Arts in Music and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Data Science
Graduation Year: Spring 2023
I am currently working alongside the Learning and Community Engagement team which consists of the Vice President of Learning & Community Engagement, as well as the Project Harmony, and Learning and Youth Orchestra Programs Coordinators. Some of my daily tasks include: Providing engagement of CSO musicians for education services, as well as management of the education events calendar, and any help needed in the CSO library for all musicians and CSYO music library; Assisting in the collection of assessment and evaluation data while attending with the on-site management of CSO education and community engagement events as assigned, as well as logistically during Project Harmony and CSYO rehearsals as well as other performing events during the seasons; Facilitating in the management of the CSO Education Website, as well as helping with research and creation of education concert teacher guides; Team planning and administration of the Family Series pre-concert festivals and managing and updating the CSO education school contacts database; and Assisting in the management of grant requirements for education programs and program promotion and documentation (social media, photographs, etc.)
This internship has allowed me to gain experience and knowledge in a professional environment, specifically in the music industry. It is also a great opportunity to give back to the community. Music is a catalyst for a stronger, more connected community. That belief is at the heart of the Charlotte Symphony, and every day they provide exceptional musical experiences that inspire their community, in addition to programs that create new pathways of opportunity, which was something that really resonated with me. Some of the Community Engagement programs they offer are Project Harmony (which is inspired by the revolutionary music-for-social-change organization, “El Sistema,” which began in Venezuela in 1975), as well as the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras.
What I have enjoyed the most these few months has been the amazing people I have had the chance to meet and work alongside. It has been an extremely positive and encouraging experience to be a part of a team with such dedicated individuals. It is so refreshing to see people that genuinely care about each other and truly want to make a change in the world, especially through something as beautiful as music and art. I encourage everyone to go support Charlotte Symphony, especially their youth programs as they are such a pillar of community building through art in Charlotte.
Tiana Cohen
McColl Center for Arts + Innovation Intern
Major: BFA in Graphic Design
Graduation Year: Fall 2023
Working for this internship has been an eye-opening experience, as it’s allowed me to interact with artists of different mediums and see how they’re successful in their own ways.
My primary responsibilities are to help the four residential artists and help plan events. My day-to-day varies from helping an artist set up a display or creating mock-ups to creating fun activities for events such as Family Day.
It’s really an innovative experience assisting people who are creative and problem solvers (both the staff and the residential artists.) The McColl Center not only gives its interns a unique and immersive experience, but it also gives the same experiences to the community they share their space with.
Tiara Mitchell
Studio Apprentice with Local Artist Georgie Nakima, Learning Resources For Change
Major: BFA with a Concentration in Printmaking
Graduation Year: Spring 2023
My duties are to assist with murals and other artworks, supply run, maintain the studio space, and help with inventory. I also love helping with transporting my mentor’s pieces to exhibitions and meeting new people in the process.
I have learned budget management, how to be resourceful, and, of course, how to work on a large scale surface. However, in the behind the scenes of being artist, there’s so much more than just creating art and displaying work. I enjoy starting a mural. There’s a sense of excitement when painting a fresh wall or court. My first experience was painting a basketball court with my mentor, Georgie Nakima. It was difficult, but afterwards, it was so rewarding. I’m looking forward to more walls and meeting more artists. I enjoy the community that we have in Charlotte – I would say it’s quite immersive. Hopefully, I will be able to branch out as an independent artist in the future.
Brooke Russo
HR Intern at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
Major: BA in Theatre Education
Graduation Year: Spring 2023
Every day on the job can be quite different from the last, from making event flyers to making employee files to contacting employees or other companies. My favorite task that I’ve worked on was making face masks for a Girl Scout event with the education department. I had to paint over a stencil to create the Wicked logo, and the masks were given to the girl scouts who attended an event that included a dance and an acting master class plus, they were able to see Wicked. It was a lot of fun getting to use my creative side at the job and see just how vast the opportunities are at Blumenthal.
I’ve learned a lot about HR, arts administration, and myself in this internship. I have enjoyed all of the opportunities I’ve experienced while on the job, but I’ve especially enjoyed the ones outside of the workday! For example, I got to see Wicked for free while it was here, which was absolutely amazing! I also have gotten tours of the various Blumenthal theaters, including backstage, which was quite the treat!
Scotty Townsend
Archives Intern with the Mint Museum
Major: BFA in Graphic Design
Graduation Year: Spring 2023
My primary duties consist of organizing and reviewing architectural drawings to store in the Mint Museum’s database. Some of my favorite tasks include meeting with my supervisor to decipher the drawings to create finding aids for the museum’s database. There’s just something about taking information and classifying it correctly that is so satisfying to me.
I’ve learned useful skills while at this internship, like learning how to read blueprints and how to store a museum’s collections into programs like Archivist’s Toolkit. What I’ve enjoyed most in my internship is the connection I’ve made with my supervisor and the internship coordinator, as well as having access to the Mint Museum’s collections of artwork. I really enjoy learning about the artistic processes and the history behind them. An exciting opportunity that I’ll be a part of is getting to interact with all of the departments in the Mint Museum, not just the Archives!
Cam Lytton
Artistic Apprentice, McColl Center for Art + Innovation
Major: BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Women and Gender Studies
Graduation Year: Spring 2023
I am the artist apprentice under Ken West (photographer and videographer) as well as a 3D Lab Assistant with Jonathan Pellitteri! The McColl Center holds artists in residence for up to six months with 24-hour access to studios and equipment, as well as funding for housing and other necessities. Along with this, McColl hosts events, workshops, and galleries that are open to the public! I help out Ken with whatever he needs in preparation and execution of his projects, including organization, editing, and research. I also will help run studio workshops for the public alongside Jonathan in the wood shops, metal shops, and other 3D studio spaces. I love this work the most because I am a very hands-on digital artist (if that makes sense!). I love 3D printing at McColl because I can create something 3D on a computer and be able to hold it in my own hands to render it and see it in real-time. I have learned a lot about artist funding, workspaces, and the business of it all as I see Ken and a ton of other artists juggle their creative careers. I am most excited to continue working with McColl even after the internship ends, hopefully in another position with more knowledge of machinery and equipment in the studios (or even as an artist in residence one day myself!).
CHRISTEN CRUMPLER
Education Intern, Charlotte Symphony
Major: BA Music
Graduation Year: Spring 2021
My main responsibilities at the moment with the Charlotte Symphony are attending the meetings pertaining to the education and community branches of the CSO. When attending these meetings, I get to learn a lot about how the different programs within these branches function and the steps and processes that need to be taken in order to make them run, as well as the expected returns in impact of the community in these programs. While I am interning there, I’ve also been given the project of updating the information in their database of the list of schools within the Charlotte area.
For high school, I went to Northwest School of the Arts (NWSA) and majored in Orchestra there. Now, the Orchestra at NWSA had partnership programs with the Charlotte Symphony while I was there, so I’ve actually been on the receiving end of a good number of those programs! Now that I’m in college and interning with the CSO, it’s really interesting to see these programs from a different perspective and contribute to them as I’m able to. So far, this has also helped me deepen my respect for those programs that I already had. I have also been given the chance to meet with most of the staff individually and get to learn more about their role with the CSO. The community there is definitely welcoming and I’m excited to make further connections that I can take later into my career endeavors!
ASHLEY JUNG
Community Outreach Intern, Bechtler Museum
Major: BFA with a concentration in Painting and Illustration
Graduation Year: Spring 2020
My primary duties being the Bechtler’s Community Outreach intern are to assist with outreach programs/classes, research lesson plans, and collect data that will enhance the Outreach Program. I enjoy meeting all the different kinds of people I work with, as well as being part of a community that is making art accessible to all.
ASIA SPINKS
Intern, Charlotte Art Leauge
Major: BFA with a concentration in Illustration
Graduation Year: Fall 2022
My primary duties include assisting with classes, assisting artists who use the studio space, and helping set up the gallery space for artist shows and classes. The Charlotte Art League Gallery internship is important to me because the position allows me to work outside of the studio and meet other artists who can teach me their process and help me to build my skills as an artist. This internship is also important to me because it enables me to gain experience in a work environment and increase my skills as an intern.
ORION GREER
Project Harmony Intern, Charlotte Symphony
Major: Bachelor of Music; Concentration in Instrumental Performance
Graduation Year: Spring 2022
My primary duties in my internship will be assisting the lead teachers in instrumental education with young kids from 2nd through 5th grade. I will be working with the Project Harmony internship and learn about the benefits of non-profit education and how music can be a positive impact at a young age. The internship is important to me because as a kid, music was a big part of my life and helped me cope with many things. I want to pass on that experience and help make sure other kids have a healthy outlet and grow through an activity that has so many benefits.
RUBY KATE BYRD
Curatorial Intern, Mint Museum
Major: BA Art History; BA Music
Graduation Year: Spring 2021
In this internship, I will primarily be working with both the curator and the librarian of the Mint Museum to compile a set of usable images of the artists in the museum’s collection, which will then be added to the museum’s database.
I am so excited to finally experience the “behind the scenes” in a museum and have the privilege of working under the museum’s curator and librarian. I also love research, which will be most of what I do there – having the opportunity to do this in an actual museum setting is so exciting! Learn more about Ruby in her student spotlight!
MICHAELA MEADOWS
Project Harmony TA, Charlotte Symphony
Major: BA in Music with a concentration in Violin
Graduation Year: Spring 2020
In my internship, my primary duties are to assist with coaching students, grades 2nd through 5th, on music theory, stringed instruments, and other musical concepts. I teach students how to properly hold the instrument and the bow, along with teaching notes and rhythms. I also set up before students arrive, and clean up after they leave. I enjoy seeing the students eager to learn about music as well as their specific instrument. Along with that, I enjoy watching their progression and growth as young musicians, and witnessing the genuine excitement of it all!
IAN GRAGG
Project Harmon Intern, Charlotte Symphony
Major: BA in Music
Graduation Year: Spring 2020
In my internship, I will be assisting Lead Teachers in the instruction of 2nd through 5th graders with instruments. I will be learning more about the nonprofit perspective of music education while developing different teaching strategies to ensure that these children have a wonderful experience learning and growing through Project Harmony.
I’m most excited about networking with other music educators and the opportunity for self-growth within music education.
YOVANY ROMERO
Education Intern, Charlotte Symphony
Major: BA Music; BS Computer Science
Graduation Year: Spring 2021
The primary duties of my internship include assisting in the engagement of musicians for education services, the management of the education events calendar, and the collection of assessment and evaluation data. I also manage the Instruments for Kids donation program, attend on-site management of education and CSO events, and assists in the planning and administration of the Lollipops pre-concert festivals. I assist in the management of grant requirements for education programs and assists in program promotion and documentation (social media, photography, etc.)
What I enjoy most about at my internship is having the opportunity to gain professional experience using the Selenium testing suite for web applications and Python to automate various tasks, while saving time and improving workflow. My main focus has been improving student attendance software for Project Harmony, an after-school intensive program serving families who face challenges and seek to provide greater opportunities for their children, Project Harmony provides free instruments, ensemble music training, and homework help to Charlotte area students. I’ve helped to accurately maintain their database, and come up with solutions to implement as Project Harmony’s size grows in the future.
YASMINE ROYAL
Community Outreach Intern, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Major: Fine Arts in Photography; Minor: Art History
Graduation Year: Spring 2020
My work will involve community outreach. I will be assisting Mykell Jamil Gates with the Bechtler’s program by data tracking, filing, as well as other office duties. I will also go along to these classes interact and with the participants, giving my assistance wherever possible. I feel that this internship will help decide what I should do as a career. I want to get a hands-on experience helping others through art and working in a gallery space. This may lead to a career working in a gallery setting or a career teaching others what I’ve learned and passing my knowledge on others as my professors did for me.
I love how relaxed and comfortable I am with the environment. Previous jobs have often left me feeling intimidated and uncomfortable. This internship has been the exact opposite so far.
MEREDITH PACK
Charlotte Ballet Content Marketing Intern
Major: BA in Dance with a Concentration in Dance Performance, Choreography, and Theory; BSBA in Marketing Innovation
Graduation Year: Spring 2020
While interning at Charlotte Ballet, I served as the main content creator for Instagram stories, designed graphics for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and collected and converted internal survey data into engaging posts in order to drive ticket sales and increase the company’s digital brand presence. This internship opportunity allowed me to take a step into my dream job as it combined my passions for digital marketing, content design, and dance into one role. Additionally, this position encouraged me to make connections between what I was learning in the classroom to real-world applications. Overall, it gave me the experience I needed to feel confident as I dove into the job hunt prior to graduating.