Hello! This is Joe, one of the current Arts Management Apprentices for Dunamis Inc! This internship has been a great opportunity to meet and converse with arts managers, performing artists and visual artists all over Boston.
One event we attended was the Juneteenth Celebration hosted by the Museum of Fine Arts. The event brought together the surrounding communities to observe and recognize creativity, community, and freedom. Juneteenth centered around African American history, art, and culture and how its extremely underrepresented in artistic spaces. The event had a large and diverse turnout that engaged its audiences through live performances, exhibits, guest speakers, and talks from the directors of the MFA.
We also had the privilege of meeting with several for-the-arts organizations such as the Arts & Business Council, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA), Mass Poetry, and Mass Creative. The Arts & Business Council considers themselves an asset to artists, giving them the tools to initially run as small businesses. Their work comes from both a practical but passionate perspective to help assist artists in their careers. VLA provides legal advice to artist nonprofits specifically advising them with transactional law, landlord/real estate, land use and artists as employees, employers, and vendors.
Mass Poetry champions poetry statewide in MA, for people of all ages. They run a large weekend festival in Salem every year, that brings 1000-1500 visitors, one of the largest poetry festivals in the region. They bring poets to schools, provide poetry residences, and support public art projects.
MassCreative is an arts advocacy group that enables artists to receive what they need to keep pursuing their works. They work with elected officials to make correct decisions about and for arts communities.
It was a privilege meeting with these organization’s leaders and learning about what they do for the arts communities of Boston. There is so much more going on behind the scenes for artists that most are unaware of. These organizations provide valuable resources for artists, enabling them to pursue their passions and giving them the tools to succeed.
-Joe Lutter