2019 Arts Internship Program Arts Internship Summit at the Music Center.

The Los Angeles County Arts Internship Program (AIP) supports and strengthens the cultural sector of LA County by expanding access to high quality paid opportunities for college students of all backgrounds to gain experience, understanding, and transferable skills relevant to careers in the arts, the creative economy, and engagement in public life. Established in 2000 as a companion to the Getty Foundation’s Marrow Undergraduate Internship Program, which funds 10 week, full-time internships in visual arts organizations and museums for college students, AIP allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the work involved in nonprofit arts administration across disciplines learn about the role of the arts in communities, and develop skills that can be put to use in their future careers.

In 2020, the Department celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Arts Internship Program, while simultaneously adjusting the program to ensure viability and flexibility in the face of challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Department, the arts sector, and students in the County.

The success of the program is reflected in the Board of Supervisors’ championing of its growth and steadfast support. Despite reductions in the program’s scale during the Great Recession, AIP has steadily expanded in the last few years. 228 positions were initially awarded in 2020 – the highest number in the program’s history and an important milestone for the 20th anniversary of the program.