One cool thing about art is that anyone can create it. You don’t have to be a profession or even have any training. And even if you don’t create, you can still enjoy other people’s art. The only problem is that sometimes the arts community can get a little stuffy and exclusive. It goes against everything that the arts are about, but it happens. That’s why ArtStream was started. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit “whose mission is to create artistic opportunities for individuals in communities traditionally under-served by the arts.” That includes “persons with disabilities, seniors, people with short or long term illnesses and their families or caregivers, immigrants, veterans, people who are grieving, and students and teachers.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
costumes,
design,
education,
Internships,
music,
non-profit,
production,
theater,
Washington DC
I already told this story when I wrote about the Poetry Foundation, but when I was in tenth grade my English teacher had each of us memorize, recite, and analyze a poem. I ended up with “Out, Out–” by Robert Frost. I really liked the poem, but I don’t think that I’ve intentionally read any poetry since high school. However, for many poetry is the ultimate form of expression. These people are likely members of the Academy of American Poets, a New York, NY based non-profit membership organization that focuses on “fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
development,
Internships,
member services,
New York,
non-profit,
writing
I have a soft spot for Detroit, the entire state of Michigan, and Vernor’s Ginger Ale. My Dad’s entire family is from the Detroit area (including a former mayor going way back), but now I only have one Great Aunt still living there. The city has obviously seen better times, but I’m hoping that it will find its way again. So is Team Detroit. It’s an ad agency that in 2006 brought together parts of five legendary agencies that were under the same ownership (JWT, Y&R, Ogilvy, Wunderman, and Mindshare) and already working with Ford. Oddly enough, Team Detroit is actually based in Dearborn, MI, but I don’t think that should take away any street creed. They’ve been winning new clients and getting lots of accolades, so it sounds like they’re a winning team.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
advertising,
analyst,
animation,
arts,
brand management,
communications,
creative,
design,
flash,
human resources,
information technology,
interactive media,
media planner,
Michigan,
planner,
sem,
software development
My career as a musician was short-lived. I started playing the snare drum in fifth grade, got a full set in sixth grade, and sold it after 8th grade. I guess the performing arts weren’t for me (my acting career ended when I stuck out my tongue in the middle of a church Christmas pageant). Luckily, I didn’t have parents who dreamed of watching me perform at The Music Center in Los Angeles, CA. It’s a non-profit that is “one of the largest and most highly regarded performing arts centers in the country, and the place to experience the most innovative and critically-acclaimed performing arts in the nation.” Los Angeles is considered by many “the creative capital of the world,” and The Music Center only helps cement that position.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
California,
grant writing,
Internships,
music,
non-profit,
theater,
writing
I live in the third biggest city in the country, yet I often feel like there’s nothing to do. Part of that is because most of the things that I like to do are outdoorsy and Chicago isn’t the best city for people like me, but most of it is because I’m not aware of all the cool things happening around me. There seem to be a million startups that have tried to solve this problem, and none have really succeeded yet. Maybe UpOut will change that. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that “is changing how locals discover unique events in their city.” They do this by pulling in event calendars from a variety of sources and curating the list to only show the most interesting ones.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
arts,
business development,
California,
community management,
customer service,
engineering,
entertainment,
events,
Internships,
local,
marketing,
music,
New York,
operations,
paid,
sales,
social media,
software development,
web development
I always get confused by the terms modern and contemporary. To me they sound like they should mean the same thing, but they don’t–at least when you’re talking about art. Modern means that it was “produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s,” while contemporary means it was produced very recently. MOCA is the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and they are the only museum in L.A. that is entirely dedicated to contemporary art. Their definition includes works that date back to 1940, so I guess some of their contemporary art may also be modern art–though I definitely could be wrong about that.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
California,
development,
Internships,
marketing,
member services,
museum,
non-profit,
online marketing,
public relations,
social media,
unpaid
When I think of a non-profit radio station, I immediately think of NPR, which is mostly talk with the occasional classical music. I know some people love it, but I usually can’t listen for more than about 15 minutes. My radio station preferences are for generic pop music or sports talk radio. I know it’s pretty lame, but that’s what keeps me entertained for parts of a long drive. Unfortunately, today most radio stations across the country are owned by the same big companies, so they tend to sound the same. KEXP is a Seattle, WA based non-profit radio station “where the music matters.” The goal is to enrich “people’s lives by championing music and discovery,” which is a far cry from what most radio stations are about today.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
development,
information technology,
Internships,
music,
non-profit,
radio,
unpaid,
Washington
Textiles have played a huge part in human history. It may not be on the level of agriculture, but they have been truly significant on both a functional and cultural level. That should continue for the foreseeable future, which is why the Textile Society of America exists. They are a Berkeley, CA based non-profit that “provides an international forum for the exchange and dissemination of information about textiles worldwide, from artistic, cultural, economic, historic, political, social, and technical perspectives.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
California,
curation,
history,
Internships,
member services,
museum,
non-profit
I’m not a big gamer, but when I do play games on my mobile devices, they’re usually pretty simplistic. Some people prefer a more immersive experience–they take mobile gaming seriously. Those people probably like the games from Gameloft. They’re a New York, NY based company that allows its “fans to play games anywhere, anytime, and on any digital platform.” In fact, more than one million Gameloft games are downloaded every single day. That’s what happens when you develop great games in-house while at the same time you’ve “built the world’s largest distribution network” (for games of course).
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
animation,
arts,
California,
design,
game design,
information technology,
Internships,
Louisiana,
mobile,
New York,
operations,
paid,
social media,
software development,
user experience,
video games,
Washington
I am anything but a film buff. I typically watch the same bad movies over and over again while I’m doing something else. It takes a lot for me to sit down and watch something with 100% focus. That means that I don’t pay much attention to the Sundance Film Festival, but I’ve heard of it and know it’s a big deal. The organization behind the festival is Sundance Institue. They’re a Park City, UT based (with offices in LA and NYC) non-profit “dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences in film and theatre.” The Institute was founded by Robert Redford in 1981 and since then has “provided a space for independent artists to explore their stories free from commercial and political pressures.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
arts,
California,
entertainment,
film,
information technology,
Internships,
paid,
theater,
unpaid,
Utah
When I think about real estate, I don’t usually think about art. And when I think about art, I don’t usually think about real estate. However, some of the most interesting companies and organizations that I’ve come across have been born out of seemingly odd combinations. Chashama is a perfect example. They are a New York, NY based non-profit that “nurtures artists by transforming unused property into work and presentation space.” It makes so much sense. Artists get much needed space to work and show their work, while an empty space is brought to life.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
administrative,
arts,
development,
events,
information technology,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
non-profit,
online marketing,
operations,
paid,
real estate,
social media
Every once in a while I go back and watch cartoons that I watched when I was a kid. I’m not talking about G.I. Joe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles–I mean the the random video tapes with cartoons from the 1920s and 1930s. It’s amazing how effectively stories can be told with simple animations, so you would think they can be told even better with not-so-simple animations. That’s what Laika does. They are a Hillsboro and Portland, OR based “animation company specializing in feature films, commercials and short films.” They’ve been nominated for an Oscar, which tells you how exceptional their ability to “handcraft and transform everyday materials into living creatures infused with dimension and soul” is.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
animation,
arts,
entertainment,
film,
human resources,
Internships,
Oregon,
production,
recruiting,
video
I don’t go to the theater very often, but when I do I usually enjoy it. There’s something pretty cool about seeing someone become a completely different character right before your eyes. As we spend more and more time looking at screens of all sizes, it’s important to remember our “theatrical traditions.” That’s what American Conservatory Theater is all about. They are a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that “embraces its responsibility to conserve, renew, and reinvent the rich theatrical traditions that are our collective legacy, while exploring new artistic forms and new communities.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
California,
copywriting,
design,
development,
fellowship programs,
grant writing,
Internships,
marketing,
non-profit,
paid,
theater,
writing
I’m currently reading a book called Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws who Hacked Ma Bell. One of the stories is about a blind man who had immense technical talent when it came to the phone system, but couldn’t land even the most basic job because of discrimination. He concocted a plan to get arrested for phreaking (phone hacking) because he knew the publicity would lead to quite a few job offers. The plan worked. Nobody should have to go to those lengths to overcome a disability or the discrimination based on it, and that’s why PROVAIL exists. They are a Seattle, WA based non-profit that “supports people with disabilities to fulfill their life choices.” It’s all about expanding opportunity and breaking down barriers that might keep people with disabilities from living the lives they want to live.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
communications,
development,
non-profit,
occupational therapy,
speech language pathology,
unpaid,
Washington
Despite moving in 5 months ago, I still haven’t put up most of the framed pictures and art that we have in our apartment. It’s a ridiculously easy task, but for some reason it’s always the last thing that I want to do. In other words, don’t give us art for Christmas! However, if you have friends or family who know exactly where to put every new piece on their walls, then you may want to buy them a gift from Art.com. The company is based in Emeryville, CA, and it “is a leading authority in wall décor and the world’s largest online retailer of posters, prints, and framed art.” Every single person has his or her own taste in art, and Art.com allows each of them to find the kinds of pieces that appeal to them.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
arts,
bilingual,
buyer,
California,
design,
interior design,
international,
Internships,
marketing,
photography,
retail,
sem,
seo,
software development,
web development
I often hear from readers that we cover too many opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Unfortunately, I have no control over where the best opportunities pop up. San Francisco’s economy has been booming for a while now, and that makes an already exciting city even more exciting. The San Francisco Foundation is a non-profit that was founded in 1948 “to pull the community together to create pride and unity and improve quality of life” in the Bay Area. Having awarded more than $800 million in grants over the past decade, the Foundation has certainly played a strong role in making San Francisco the place it is today.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
California,
communications,
community development,
education,
environmental,
foundation,
grant making,
graphic design,
Internships,
marketing,
non-profit,
program development,
public health
I’m not sure how we ended up here, but Black Friday shopping seems to be the latest extreme sports craze. I’ll spend a little time looking for deals online, but you won’t find me within a few miles of any major retail store. If I somehow got duped into going shopping, I’d totally wear a helmet. It’s better safe than sorry. Easton-Bell Sports, which is based in Van Nuys, CA, is one of the biggest sports helmet companies in the world. Their brands include Giro, Bell, Riddell, Easton, Easton Cycling, and Blackburn. They all come together to help Easton-Bell Sports pursue their goal of being “a leading designer, developer and marketer of sports equipment and accessories that enhance athletic performance and protection.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
apparel,
arts,
baseball,
California,
design,
finance,
football,
hockey,
holiday,
Internships,
marketing,
product management,
safety,
sports
Going to the opera is the ultimate stereotypical thing that male tv characters do to make the women in their lives happy. You almost get the sense that nobody wants to go to the opera–they just want to influence other people’s opinions of them by going. While I’m sure there’s some of that, I’ll bet that most people who go to the opera truly love it. I’ve never been, but I’d like to go at least once. When I do, maybe I’ll go to The Metropolitan Opera in New York, NY. It’s the largest classical music organization in North America, and it’s been around for just over 128 years. The Met’s goal is to be “a vibrant home for the most creative and talented artists, including singers, conductors, composers, orchestra musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers from around the world.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
entertainment,
events,
Internships,
music,
New York,
non-profit,
paid
I mentioned earlier in the week in the post about Museum Hack that I can sometimes get a little bored at museums. That’s not true at kids’ museums. I’m not sure what is says about my maturity level, but when I was in college, Amy and I would get really excited to take her sister (15 years younger) to the local science/children’s museum. She loved it, but I think we loved it even more. Next time we go to the West Coast, we might have to visit the Bay Area Discovery Museum. It’s a Sausalito, CA based museum that “is designed to ignite creative thinking in children.” What makes it sound even more awesome than other children’s museums that I’ve been to is that they put their 7.5 acres of natural space to use as part of the experience.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
California,
development,
education,
events,
Internships,
museum,
non-profit,
operations,
science,
unpaid
Sometimes I love museums, and sometimes they bore me to death. I’m pretty sure it mostly has to do with how recently I last ate (apparently it’s a faux pas to waltz around most museums while snacking). I know they have those audio headset things that are supposed to give you a guided tour, but I don’t want to be one of those people. I really like the idea of going to the museum, but it usually disappoints. I wish there was a way to liven up the experience and get more out of it. That’s what Museum Hack is working on. They’re a New York, NY based upstart that has developed a “tour to turn one of New York’s most spectacular cultural institutions into a totally unique experience.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
communications,
education,
history,
Internships,
museum,
New York,
paid,
photography,
research,
sales,
social media
I admit to liking bad music. I don’t listen to music all that often, but when I do, I’m perfectly happy listening to Top 40 stuff. I know that most of it is musically questionable, but I can’t help that I like it. I’ve tried listening to Classical music, but I can’t get into it. Maybe one day that will change. And if it does, I’ll have to check out the Handel and Haydn Society. They are based in Boston, MA, and they are “considered America’s oldest continuously performing arts organization.” They’re coming up on 200 years of excellence “in the field of Historically Informed Performance” (see here for a more in depth explanation). In other words they perform pieces “using the instruments and techniques of the composer’s time.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
development,
events,
grant writing,
history,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
music,
non-profit,
research,
unpaid
Early in the wedding planning process I proposed that we try to do as much online as possible. I quickly lost that battle, and I must say that our custom designed paper goods turned out amazingly well. I’m just glad that I wasn’t paying for them. If only there was a way to get beautiful, custom designed paper goods for a reasonable price. That’s exactly what Minted offers. They are a San Francisco, CA based company that aims “to find exceptional artists and designers all over the world and bring their work to consumers who appreciate great design.” They were early to the crowdsourcing model in 2008, and since then they’ve grown into a place where consumers can find great designers and great designers can get exposure that will help them build their careers.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
arts,
California,
design,
engineering,
graphic design,
human resources,
Internships,
marketing,
merchandising,
online marketing,
printing,
production,
recruiting,
seo,
software development,
technical support,
user experience,
web development
I’m not much of a gamer, but occasionally I get wrapped up in a mindless iPhone game. It starts as a little diversion while waiting for something, and before I know it, I’m staying up past my bedtime playing. The addiction usually lasts a few weeks, and then I forget about it and get my life back… until I discover a new game. I haven’t tried any games from Pocket Gems, and I don’t intend to… I never intend to. They are a San Francisco, CA based company that “develops free-to-play mobile games that are ridiculously fun.” While their games may be pretty simple, Pocket Gems takes them very seriously. That’s why their dual mission is to “build the world’s best mobile engineering team” and “become a global leader in the mobile entertainment industry.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advertising,
animation,
arts,
California,
design,
engineering,
entertainment,
Internships,
mobile,
operations,
paid,
product management,
software development,
video games,
web development
When my sister and I were kids, our parents would sometimes take us to a toy store and let us pick out something that we wanted (often after doctor and dentist visits–bribery works). I would almost always pick out action figures (G.I. Joes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), while my sister would almost always pick some sort of art kit. Even though I never really liked art, I was always a little jealous that she had some sort of cool project to work on. I don’t remember which specific products she bought, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were from ArtSkills. They are an Easton, PA based company “with a commitment to bringing quality and innovative poster making and art materials to [their] customers.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
administrative,
analyst,
arts,
design,
graphic design,
Internships,
Pennsylvania,
unpaid
What do hipsters love? Brooklyn and things with suggested prices/contributions (you can feel like a full paying customer without being a full paying customer). They also like artsy stuff. I have to imagine that the Brooklyn Museum is a hipster’s paradise, but then again it’s probably paradise for a lot of people considering that it’s “one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country.” They have more than half a million square feet of space and an amazing group of collections “that range from the ancient to the contemporary and encompass virtually all the world’s principal cultures.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
community management,
curation,
development,
Internships,
marketing,
member services,
museum,
New York,
program development,
sales,
social media,
unpaid
In my tenth grade English class I had to recite a poem from memory. I was assigned “Out, Out–” by Robert Frost. It’s just about the perfect poem for a teenage boy to appreciate, even if it is a bit morbid. When I Googled the poem this morning, the first result was from the Poetry Foundation, which is a Chicago, IL based “independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture.” They are the publisher of Poetry magazine, and in 2011 the non-profit opened a building that “houses a public garden, a 30,000-volume library, an exhibition gallery, the Poetry Foundation’s programming offices—including the offices of Poetry magazine—and provides new space for the Foundation’s extensive roster of public programs and events.” It’s just around the corner from where I used to live, and it’s an impressive and interesting structure.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
Illinois,
Internships,
library,
museum,
non-profit,
writing
When you get engaged, everybody tells you how much fun registry shopping is. I’m still waiting for the fun part. Just kidding. The fun part was doing our Amazon Registry, which had all of the cool kitchen gadgets that I wanted. When someone bought us something on that, I got really excited. I was a little bit less excited about our registries at Simon Pearce, Bloomingdale’s, and Restoration Hardware. I’m very grateful to everyone who bought us a gift from those registries, but a blowtorch is way better than a water pitcher in my book. Now let’s go back to that last place we registered: Restoration Hardware. That ended up being our least popular registry (in terms of % completed), which is surprising when you consider that the Corte Madera, CA “home furnishings retailer” made the Inc. 5000 with 91% three-year growth to $1.2 billion in revenue. While that growth rate is lower than what we’re accustomed to, we can make an excuse for a company that passed the billion dollar mark (and is no longer eligible for the list now that they have IPOed).
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
administrative,
analyst,
arts,
buyer,
California,
curation,
design,
e-commerce,
finance,
interior design,
Internships,
inventory control,
Logistics,
nationwide,
New York,
planner,
planning,
retail,
style,
supply chain,
transportation
I’ve stayed in all kinds of hotels–from the fanciest of the fancy to ones that made my skin crawl. While the main things that I look for are a quiet room, a comfortable bed, and a powerful shower, my truly memorable stays have been at hotels that are interesting outside of the room. Sometimes that comes naturally with a scenic location or a historic building, and sometimes it’s more purposeful. 21c Museum Hotels is a company that is adding to the number of interesting places to stay. They’re based in Louisville, KY, and they now have three properties that are “born out of a desire to integrate contemporary art into everyday life” (the other two are in Cincinnati, OH and Bentonville, AR). The name says it all–they’re museums in hotels, and they’re apparently doing well. 21c Museum Hotels came in at #681 on the Inc. 5000 with 673% three-year growth to $4.6 million in revenue.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
Arkansas,
arts,
food,
hospitality management,
Internships,
Kentucky,
museum,
Ohio,
paid,
restaurants,
travel
When I was growing up, I was anything but a youth against establishment. My school had a dress code, and I’m not sure that I ever violated it (ok, I may have forgotten to wear a belt once or twice). Even outside of school, I wore the same khaki pants that I had to wear at school (but with sneakers and a t-shirt of course)–I think I outgrew my last pair of jeans in 7th grade. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I’ve never owned anything from Volcom. In case you’re not familiar with the brand, they’re a San Clemente, CA based “designer, marketer and distributor of premium quality young men’s and young women’s clothing, accessories and related products.” The company was founded in 1991, and came out of Orange County boardsports culture.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
accounting,
administrative,
apparel,
arts,
California,
design,
fashion,
graphic design,
Internships,
merchandising,
retail,
sales,
sports,
unpaid
I find Flo from Progressive pretty irritating, but I think that’s kind of the point. The car insurance business is all about branding, and that means getting a name to stick in your head. The fact that you probably know who Flo is is proof enough that brand advertising works even if it’s annoying (though I know some of you are screaming, “But it doesn’t affect which company I buy my insurance from!”). While big brands often have big advertising budgets, they need an exceptional agency to generate a strong ROI on those budgets. I’d say that Arnold Worldwide is an exceptional agency. Not only is the Boston, MA based agency behind Progressive’s Flo campaign, but they also have done work for Jack Daniels, New Balance, Surfrider Foundation, and Volvo. Clients like those demand great work, and that’s exactly what Arnold Worldwide has produced for them.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
advertising,
arts,
copywriting,
creative,
finance,
interactive media,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
New York,
online marketing,
production,
social media,
strategy,
unpaid,
user experience,
Virginia
