Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery at Scripps College has been awarded a $12,500 grant from the Getty Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the J. Paul Getty Trust, to support three paid, full-time, 10-week summer internships. The 2009 Getty interns are: Denise Rodriguez ’11, Scripps College; Wendy Henry ’09, Claremont McKenna College; and Hee Ju Kim ’11, Pomona College.
This selection marks the 17th consecutive year the Williamson Gallery has hosted three Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Interns. The three internships are the maximum number granted to an organization.
Over the course of the summer, the students will be introduced to many aspects of exhibition organization and installation, publications, art education, and conservation. Getty interns receive a $3,500 stipend and additional funds are awarded to the hosting organization to offset administrative expenses associated with the internships.
According to the Getty guidelines, these internships are “intended for members of groups underrepresented in the professions related to museums and the visual arts, particularly individuals of African American, Asian, Latino-Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander descent.”
Williamson Gallery Director Mary MacNaughton calls the internships “one of the most successful diversity programs at The Claremont Colleges.”
The Williamson Gallery presents both historical and contemporary exhibitions. The 2009 summer interns will work on a variety of projects, including two exhibitions: “Secrets of a Democracy” and the “Scripps College 66th Ceramic Annual,” the longest-running exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the nation.
For the summer of 2009, the Getty’s Multicultural Undergraduate Internship program has awarded over 80 grants to Los Angeles museum and visual arts organizations. Other participating organizations include the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
In addition, the Williamson Gallery offers the Wilson Internship, made possible by the generous support of Jane Hurley Wilson ’64 and Michael Wilson. The 10-week summer internship is an opportunity specifically for Scripps students interested in pursuing careers in museum or arts administration. Krista Sharpe ’12, who is studying both psychology and fine arts, will be working alongside the Getty interns as the recipient of the 2009 Wilson internship.
The Getty and Wilson internships have helped many Scripps alumnae launch successful careers in the visual arts. Former Williamson Gallery interns have pursued graduate studies in art history and conservation at renowned institutions worldwide, including, Royal College of Art, London; Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London; Columbia University; New York University; and the University of Chicago.
Sanchita Balachandran ’93, Jennifer Brown ’00, Val