Spring 2023 Communications Internship

  • Internship

Spring 2023 Communications Internship

Application Due: Monday, January 2, 2023
Length of Internship: January 23﹣June 16, 2023

Must be available to work in person April 27-29, 2023 for Southern Exposure’s Annual Auction.

This internship will provide valuable training in the field of marketing management for a nonprofit contemporary arts organization. The internship is not a paid employment relationship, but is a stipended educational opportunity that will benefit the candidate with mentorship, training, and instruction. 

Engaging in a wide variety of professional activities under the instruction and supervision of the Marketing and Communications Coordinator, with additional instruction from the Operations and Development Coordinator, the Communications Intern helps to manage Southern Exposure’s social media channels, assists with social media campaigns, and recruits followers. The intern curates compelling content, including content from SoEx friends and allies, to highlight issues affecting artists and art spaces via Southern Exposure’s social media networks. The intern will also learn to perform monthly data analysis of web, email, and social media reach, and provide project-based support, such as researching press contacts, promoting events, communicating with partners, gathering and processing images, maintaining projects and events on the website, and archiving PR materials. 

This opportunity is ideal for someone interested in learning about digital engagement, audience development, and data gathering and analysis. Interns will have the opportunity to execute an internship project that directly engages with the artists and curators of their choice. In addition to receiving a modest stipend, interns receive ample opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of a contemporary nonprofit arts organization.

 

About Southern Exposure:

Southern Exposure (SoEx) is a 48-year-old artist-centered nonprofit organization committed to supporting visual artists. Through our extensive and innovative programming, SoEx strives to experiment, collaborate, and further educate while providing an extraordinary resource center and forum for Bay Area and national artists and youth in our Mission District space, as well as off site, in the public realm.

 

The goals of Southern Exposure’s internship program are to:

  • Provide emerging arts professionals, particularly individuals whose communities and experiences are underrepresented in arts administration, with professional training and education in arts administration, preparing them for and connecting them with further opportunities within the arts
  • Create opportunities for building nurturing relationships that encourage knowledge-sharing in omnidirectional ways between interns, staff, and other SoEx community members

All interns should be interested in learning in a nonprofit arts environment and possess strong communication skills and basic computer skills. Due to COVID-19, our staff is currently working both in the office and from home, and candidates should be prepared to commit a combination of hours on site at Southern Exposure and at home on their own computer (if this presents a barrier to your participation, we can make arrangements for participating on site during all internship hours).

 

Attributes Needed:

  • Attention to detail
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to self-direct and follow through with long-term projects 
  • Knowledge of contemporary artistic practices 
  • Working knowledge of Apple computers and Gmail. Experience with Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Docs, InDesign/Photoshop, Dropbox, Canva, Facebook, and Instagram is helpful 

Expectations:

SoEx internships are educational opportunities providing training and opportunities to learn while gaining professional skills. At this time, we can offer a $1,500 stipend per intern for the duration of the internship to help offset expenses incurred during the internship. We are happy to partner with schools and community organizations to provide further stipends or course credit. We are dedicated to providing professional development toward our interns’ goals. Interns are expected to commit 8﹣12 hours per week, ideally across 2﹣3 days each week.

Activities:

Activities include instruction and practice in:

  • Social Media Support: design and write content for online platforms in alignment with SoEx’s brand styles, generate new campaign ideas, collect metrics data, collaborate on new strategies
  • Website Maintenance: upload images, exhibition information, and artist information to our website and keep track of areas that require updating

  • Event and Exhibition Support: set up before and provide support during in-person and virtual events, participate in promotion of events and exhibitions, and provide support in print and digital asset design

  • Auction Preparation: support in editing and organizing event spreadsheet ahead of the 2023 Art Auction

  • Execution of a final project (interview, survey, research of your choice)

  • Participation in a professional development workshop

 

Application Instructions:

Please send a current résumé that reflects any relevant experience and skills, along with two professional references (contact information only, no reference letters required) and a cover letter that explains what you will bring to the internship and what you hope to gain as a SoEx intern, to [email protected]. Please apply by Monday, January 2, 2023 for full consideration.