Community Engagement Internship
An intern screen-printing with an artist at Urban Arts Space's monthly Artist Commune event
Urban Arts Space interns, staff, and volunteers after the Artist Commune: Fashion Show
An intern installing artwork at the gallery
Two interns painting a window display to promote a show
An intern giving a gallery tour at Urban Arts Space
An intern leading a rooftop garden tour at the Lazarus building
Community Engagement Internship
The Mellon Foundation–funded Urban Arts Space Community Engagement Internship Program is a two-semester, paid undergraduate internship model designed to bridge academic learning with sustained, reciprocal community engagement. Housed at Urban Arts Space at The Ohio State University, the program prepares students to become ethical, skilled arts administrators and community leaders through structured training, critical reflection, and long-term community-based practice.
Community engagement in this program is understood as long-term, relational work that requires time, trust, accountability, and continuity. Rather than positioning community spaces as sites for short-term learning or practice, the program centers communities as partners in knowledge-making and shared growth. Students move through institutional learning and preparation before entering community placements, allowing them to arrive with the skills, context, and care required for responsible engagement.
At its core, the program resists extractive or transactional models of engagement. Intern labor, learning, and professional development are intentionally tied to the health and sustainability of the organizations they support. Students gain real-world experience and clarity around career pathways, while community partners receive consistent, skilled support aligned with their missions and needs.
You can read more about the program and our Internship Program Coordinator, Ashley Martin, on the Arts at Ohio State website.
Goals
Strengthen Community
Arts + Culture Organizations
Increase the capacity of community-based arts and cultural organizations through sustained, non-extractive internship placements that provide consistent, skilled labor aligned with organizational missions, workflows, and long-term sustainability.
Prepare Community Leaders
Equip undergraduate students with professional skills, critical frameworks, and real-world experience in arts administration and community engagement, preparing them for long-term careers grounded in care, accountability, and reciprocal practice.
Build Reciprocal University–Community Relationships
Foster long-term, trust-based partnerships between the university and the Columbus arts ecosystem that prioritize community needs, shared responsibility, and equitable collaboration over short-term or transactional engagement.
Key Responsibilities
- Research, plan, and implement educational programs, tours, and art activities inspired by current or past exhibitions.
- Gain experience in educational program planning, lesson planning, art-making processes, public speaking, and teaching.
- Assist various senior staff members in developing and operating exhibition-specific programs and collaborating on outreach activities.
- Participate in exhibition management, including design, artwork installation, and strike processes.
- Contribute to the planning and execution of exhibitions, window displays, and other aspects of striking and installing exhibitions.
- Assist in the planning and execution of communications strategies, including blog posts, press releases, and social media content.
- Collaborate with design and photo/video interns to maintain and innovate marketing efforts.
- Propose new materials and strategies to publicize events at UAS and HHG.
- Document and archive activities related to exhibitions, programming, and events.
- Conduct research to stay familiar with upcoming events, artworks, artists, and accessibility practices.
Community Partners
Open Door Studios
Maroon Arts Group
Columbus Museum of Art
Priscilla Tyson Cultural Arts Center
Arts Impact Middle School
WOSU
The Opportunity Zone
William H. Thomas Gallery
We Amplify Voices
Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services
Ohio History Connection
Fort Hayes High School
ArtPossible
Roy G. Biv Gallery
Wild Goose Creative
Thurber House
Neighborhood Design Center
Hilltop Arts Collective
All People Arts
Partnerships are cultivated intentionally and carefully with attention to mission alignment, organizational capacity, and community impact.
Professional Development Grant for Urban Arts Space (UAS) Interns
The UAS Professional Development Grant encourages Urban Arts Space interns to prepare for careers in their chosen field after graduation by helping defray costs associated with career development. By offering grants of up to $500 for one applicant per funding period, UAS will provide an incentive for interns to invest in their futures while interning at UAS. The UAS Professional Development Grants will be awarded to interns demonstrating strong linkages between their stated professional goals and their submitted professional development plan.
Applicants should read the full guidelines prior to applying. The 2025 application opens Monday, February 3 and closes Monday, March 17 at 11:59 PM.
Questions?
Contact Ashley Martin at martin.4988@osu.edu.