Learning from Arts Professionals: Making Career Connections
On June 6, staff at the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, in collaboration with Studio Institute, hosted a daylong gathering for summer 2025 interns. Twenty-four college students, who are interning at arts and cultural organizations in and around New York City, included interns working at Artist Endowed Foundations, as well as students who are participating through the Atlanta University Center Consortium.
New York City-based Summer 2025 Arts Interns with the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation and Studio Institute staff at Foundation headquarters.
Photographs: Travis Emery Hackett; Courtesy of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.
On June 6, staff at the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, in collaboration with Studio Institute, hosted a daylong gathering for summer 2025 interns. Twenty-four college students, who are interning at arts and cultural organizations in and around New York City, included interns working at Artist Endowed Foundations, as well as students who are participating through the Atlanta University Center Consortium.
The day began with a warm welcome from Rachael Pullin, Manager of Educational Initiatives at the Foundation, and Sophia Domeville, Senior Manager, Arts Intern College Program at Studio Institute, followed by a panel featuring Foundation staff.
Executive Director Elizabeth Smith, Douglas Dreishpoon, Director of the Helen Frankenthaler Catalogue Raisonné and Assistant Director Jessie Sentivan; Maureen St. Onge, Director of Collections; Sarah Dziedzic, Oral Historian; and Rachael discussed their respective roles in the Frankenthaler Prints Initiative. Launched in 2018, this special philanthropic program enriches the collections of academic institutions by providing grantees with a selection of Frankenthaler’s prints to promote scholarly research on her contributions to printmaking through study, exhibitions, and programming.
During a roundtable discussion with interns, Ms. St. Onge, who worked closely with Helen Frankenthaler for nearly 40 years, provided interns with some invaluable advice. “Go to art functions,” she urged, “There are so many opportunities [here in New York City] to meet people—and you never know who you might be talking to.” Ms. St. Onge also encouraged interns to “Be the best at whatever job you do. Be irreplaceable. It will open doors!”
Case in point: Valerie Rodriguez began her work at the Foundation as an Arts Intern in 2023, working as an Artwork Research Intern at the Helen Frankenthaler Catalogue Raisonné (HFCR). Following her internship, she was hired part time as Project Assistant of the Helen Frankenthaler Catalogue Raisonné. She now holds a full-time staff position, as an HFCR Project Assistant.
After a lavish lunch at Kahlo, a nearby restaurant serving innovative Mexican cuisine, interns and staff had an opportunity to meet and chat. Next, Arts Intern Program Coordinator Kailey Duran—also an Arts Intern alumna—facilitated a panel presentation featuring Arts Intern alumnae Vincenzia Fasulo, who interned at the Madison Square Park Conservancy as an Operations Coordinator in 2024, and Randa Elsayed, who worked at The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in winter 2022–23 as a Regional Regranting Program Intern.
Former Arts Interns Vincenzia Fasulo (left) and Randa Elsayed share career insights with Summer 2025 Arts Interns during a panel discussion.
Vincenzia shared that one of the reasons she applied to the Arts Intern program was because it was a paid internship. Noting that the internship and guidance of the Conservancy staff not only helped her learn about the functions of the various departments, but they helped her learn what she wasn’t interested in pursuing as a career. She gained career advice from her supervisor and stayed in touch.
As a result of that connection, she was recently hired for a full-time position at the Conservancy as Chief of Staff. Lessons learned: “Be honest with yourself. It’s better to know what you don’t want to do. And be open to what’s out there. The art world is very small; networking and making connections [are key].”
Randa cites a similar experience. After college, she channeled her passion for social justice through the arts, focusing on serving communities in need, becoming the Founder and Co-Director of the Unframed Arts Collective. She credits advice from her mentor and supervisor at The Andy Warhol Foundation as a resource for guidance when she founded her own arts organization.
Like Vincenzia, Randa says that making connections during her internship proved instrumental in helping guide her career trajectory. Her advice: “Ask questions; introduce yourself. Embrace things that are new and be open to learning. You never know where it might lead you.”
We look forward to charting the progress of our amazing and talented Arts Interns in New York City and beyond!
6.13.25