The Magical Philanthropic Fairy

Greetings, SOTAns! 

This week, we're talking about how the Metropolitan Museum in New York will now start paying interns. YAY! Right? Yes and no. Although the Met is one of the most visited museums in the US and does carry influence, it's the source of the paid internship funding that is the issue. The Met received a $5 million dollar gift from a philanthropist (who, seems to be on the up-and-up–we checked.). This is well and good, but it's not a reality for every museum and nonprofit everywhere. The Magical Philanthropic Fairy will not put that amount of money under every institution's pillow. This time, when museum budgets have been cut to their bare bones in the wake of the pandemic, makes now a perfect opportunity for organizations to build paid internships into their entire operating budgets for the future. This needs to happen in order to combat classist and racist discrimination in the art world. We have a lot to say on this so, this is our first ever two-parter. Join us for part one!

References:
Metropolitan Museum Will Now Pay All Interns - Hyperallergic
The Power of a Paid Internship: Creating pathways to careers in museums - AAM
Unpaid Labor in the Arts // Christopher Selleck - SOTA