Creative Capital x Spelman Launch Internship To Foster Future Generations of Grantmakers to Artists

(New York, NY, July 11, 2022) – Creative Capital, a nonprofit organization dedicated to grantmaking and wraparound support for individual artists, announced today a new partnership and paid internship program with Spelman College and the Atlanta University Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective (AUC) in Atlanta, GA, to help foster future generations of cultural leaders.

“The pandemic and the great resignation have highlighted the urgent need to cultivate future professionals who are passionate about supporting artists and the creation of new art. At Creative Capital, we are deeply committed to artists and to the arts ecosystem as a whole. We are honored to partner with Spelman College and the AUC Art Collective to launch this new paid internship program that will serve as a pipeline feeding greater diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and excellence in artist-centered organizations.” – Christine Kuan, President & Executive Director, Creative Capital

“We’re thrilled to partner with Creative Capital this summer to launch a dynamic, new paid internship for our students, which will provide hands-on leadership training in grant making for artists with exciting opportunities to work with grantees. This strategic partnership with Creative Capital aligns with the mission of the AUC Art Collective in transforming the art world by preparing students from the largest HBCU network for careers in the arts.” – Cheryl Finley, Director, AUC Art Collective and Distinguished Visiting Professor, Department of Art & Visual Culture, Spelman College

“I’m very excited to be an Intern at Creative Capital! It means a lot to me to be working for a nonprofit whose mission is to fund artists from diverse backgrounds and provide them with opportunities to further their careers in the art world. I’m so honored to have been selected for this opportunity and can’t wait to give my all to supporting Creative Capital’s cause.” – Kai Samuels-Jackson, Spelman College C’2023.

Kai Samuels-Jackson is a rising senior from Rockville, Maryland at Spelman College. She is majoring in Art and minoring in Documentary Film, specializing in illustration, collage, and graphic design. Kai is passionate about diversity and representation in fine arts and believes in being a lifelong learner through real-life experiences.

This new program offers both paid remote and paid in-person internship options for AUC students, as well as a housing stipend for in-person interns who choose to move to in New York City for the duration of the internship.

About Creative Capital
Creative Capital is a nonprofit, grantmaking organization with the mission to fund artists in the creation of groundbreaking new work, to amplify the impact of their work, and to foster sustainable artistic careers. Creative Capital pioneered a transformative grantmaking model that marries direct funding to individual artists with infrastructure and scaffolding support through professional development services, advisory services, community-building, and mentorship. The Creative Capital philanthropic model has impacted not just artists, but the arts ecosystem as a whole—inspiring countless other nonprofits to invest in the long-term, sustainable careers of artists. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has awarded $52.5 million in grants to 834 artists. We are recognized for funding risk-taking artists in the visual arts, performing arts, technology, film, literature, and socially engaged and multidisciplinary forms, and for identifying talent at catalytic moments in artists’ careers. More than 75% of recent awardees are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or artists of color representing a wide range of age groups, artistic disciplines, and regions.

About AUC Art Collective
Housed within the Department of Art & Visual Culture at Spelman College, the AUC Art Collective is the first and only undergraduate program designed to shape the future of the multi-billion-dollar art industry by positioning the Atlanta University Center as the leading incubator of African American professionals in the fields of Art History and Curatorial Studies. Made possible by the generous support of the Alice L. Walton Foundation, students enrolled in this innovative program are also eligible for scholarships, global field study and paid summer internships. Partnering with Creative Capital on this internship opportunity builds upon the AUC Art Collective’s goal to provide life-changing learning experiences for students at the cutting edge of art and culture.

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