The Phillips Collection to Participate in United Negro College Fund and and Association of Art Museum Directors Initiative to Foster the Next Generation of Museum Professionals

Pilot Program Begins January 2014, Providing Internships, Career-Readiness Assistance, and Professional Development for Students of Color

Washington, DC—The Phillips Collection today announced that it will participate in the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) nationwide program to address diversity in the art museum field. Launching in January 2014, the $100,000 pilot initiative will place 13 college juniors from private and public historically black colleges and universities in major American art museums for semester-long paid internships, as well as support these students with career and job readiness coaching and professional development training. The National Endowment for the Arts, the Henry Luce Foundation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the members of AAMD have provided support for this initiative.

“The Phillips Collection is thrilled to be a part of this important initiative,” said director Dorothy Kosinski. “This collaboration has the potential to reveal the next generation of innovative, exceptional museum professionals and the Phillips welcomes the opportunity to foster the participants’ professional growth through mentorship and assigning mission-critical projects.”

“Fewer than five percent of our 220 member art museums have minorities in senior management positions,” said Christine Anagnos, AAMD’s Executive Director. “This initiative creates a pathway for successfully growing the percentage of minorities in the arts over time, by introducing minority students to leaders in the museum field, nurturing their interest in art and art museums, and helping to prepare them for a wide range of jobs in museums as well as future educational opportunities. AAMD is committed to increasing diversity in the field, which is one way of ensuring that our museums serve and reflect communities across the country. We commend The Phillips Collection for taking part in this initiative and sharing the expertise of Phillips staff with the next generation of museum professionals.”

“Often, the biggest barrier for minorities seeking entry to a field is the lack of a clear opportunity and the difficulty of building a network of connections,” said Larry Griffith, Senior Vice President of Programs and Student Services at UNCF.  “We are thrilled to partner with AAMD and their network of member museums to help minority students gain the professional experience they need for successful careers in the arts, and hope that by continuing this initiative over time we can have a significant impact on diversity in museum management, making the field more representative of the United States.”

As a part of the program, The Phillips Collection, along with 12 other AAMD member museums, will provide stipends for 12 weeks of the spring 2014 semester, with Fellows expected to work a minimum of 15 hours each week. Museum staff will serve as mentors to these interns, to offer an additional level of direct, personal engagement beyond their experiences in different departments. AAMD will also engage education experts from within the field to assist in the design and execution of the professional development and career-readiness training portions of the program, and support the longer-term career placement requirements for Fellows, as needed.

Other participating AAMD member museums include: Arkansas Art Center, Birmingham Museum of Art, Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries, Columbia Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, High Museum of Art, Mississippi Museum of Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Spelman College Museum of Art.

UNCF, which has more than 17 years of experience in creating pipeline programs for students of color, is providing crucial leadership in management and implementation of this initiative. This includes: recruitment of university and college partners, student outreach and recruitment, application management, and implementation of a career and job readiness component. Additionally, UNCF will act as the fiscal agent, administering the program funds and coordinating payments of stipends to the Fellows.

College and university partners include: Allen University, Arkansas Baptist University, Benedict University, Bowie State University, Cheyney University, Clark Atlanta University, Dillard University, Fisk University, Howard University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Jackson State University, Miles College, Morehouse College, North Carolina  Central University, Philander Smith College, Shaw University, Southern University, Spelman College, St. Augustine’s University, Tennessee State University, Texas College, Tougaloo College, University of the District of Columbia, and Xavier University.