The Metropolitan Museum of Art Announces First Class of Adrienne Arsht Interns

The spring 2021 interns will be the first group in the Museum’s now fully paid program.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today the spring 2021 class of Adrienne Arsht Interns, the first cohort in The Met’s now fully paid program. The internships are named in recognition of Ms. Arsht’s recent gift of $5 million ensuring that all of the Museum’s undergraduate and graduate internship positions are now paid. Throughout the course of the 10-week, part-time program, interns will gain mentorship and professional experience in over 40 departmental areas throughout the Museum, including administration, curatorial, conservation, and education.

Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Met, commented, “This first class of fully paid interns represents an important milestone for both the Museum’s renowned internship program and our ongoing commitment to creating inclusive and accessible professional opportunities at The Met. We are deeply grateful to Adrienne Arsht and so many others for making this progress possible. I look forward to welcoming these remarkable interns to the Museum. They represent our future and the next generation of museum professionals.”

The Met received a record number of applications for the spring 2021 program—a 200 percent increase over the previous year—and the incoming interns reflect a wide and diverse range of backgrounds, fields of study, and areas of interest. In total, the spring 2021 cohort includes 28 Adrienne Arsht Interns along with 9 positions funded by additional Museum supporters.

“I am thrilled at the number of applications that were submitted for the first semester of Adrienne Arsht Interns. It confirms that paid internships are an important step in advancing one’s career,” said Adrienne Arsht. “Paid internships create a more level playing field, allowing more opportunities and enabling greater inclusivity for all.”

Spring 2021 Interns

Adrienne Arsht Interns:
Elina Arbo (Columbia University)—Ancient Near Eastern Art
Alexia Arrizurieta (New York University)—Modern and Contemporary Art
Alicia Badea (Johns Hopkins University)—Publications and Editorial
Rafaela Brosnan (University of Chicago)—Ancient Near Eastern Art
Tiarra Brown (New York University)—European Paintings
Sid Carlson White (Yale University)—American Wing
Noah Caspar (University of Michigan)—Education
Asante Crews (Brown University)—Arms and Armor
Pilar Ferrer (City College of New York)—Egyptian Art
Grace Garcia (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)—External Affairs
Julia Garcia-Tobar (Bank Street College)—Education
Kayla Gillman (Williams College)—Education
Mary Kate Farley (New York University)—The Costume Institute
Lucia Iglesias (New York University)—Medieval Art
Kaelin Keller (Spelman College)—Education
Samaa Khullar (New York University)—Ancient Near Eastern Art
Teresa Lillis (University of St. Andrews)—Membership
Kai McGinn (Bryn Mawr College)—Thomas J. Watson Library
Miguel Moya (Columbia University)—Education
Emily Mushaben (New York University)—The Costume Institute
Immanuelle Nelson (Temple University)—Live Arts
Anastassia Perfilieva (New York University)—Robert Lehman Collection
Ashton Rodgers (William & Mary)—Greek and Roman Art
Ayaka Sano (New York University)—Asian Art and Costume Institute
Angela Sepulveda (Queens College)—Education
Ayesha Shaikh (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)—Islamic Art
Rory Slattery (Columbia University)—Egyptian Art
Edmon Zhou (New York University)—European Paintings

Intern Positions Funded by Additional Met Supporters:
Katerina Acuna (University of Delaware)—Objects Conservation
McKay Burdette (University of Pennsylvania)—Lifchez/Stronach Nine-Month Curatorial Intern in Egyptian Art
Natalie Cohen (Harvard University)—Emily K. Rafferty Twelve-Month Intern in Museum Administration
Lara Damabi (New York University)—Tiffany & Co. Foundation Twelve-Month Curatorial Intern in American Decorative Arts
Carina D’Urso (Brooklyn College)—CUNY Cultural Corps Intern, Education
Jessica Diao (Hunter College)—External Affairs
Vonetta DeVonish (Pratt Institute)—Digital
Kristen Holder (New York University)—Paintings Conservation
Lela Jenkins (University of Chicago)—Digita

Additionally, applications for the Museum’s summer 2021 internships for undergraduate and graduate students increased nearly 60 percent compared with last year. The summer program (June 7–August 13, 2021) includes full-time and part-time positions, both of which are paid. Full-time interns at The Met also receive a travel stipend.

Ms. Arsht’s pledged $5 million to the Museum in support of the internship program and MetLiveArts series. With her gift, The Met became the single largest art museum in the country to offer fully paid internship positions. The previously unnamed internship positions—28 this spring—are now named as Adrienne Arsht Interns.

Undergraduate and Graduate Internships are made possible by Adrienne Arsht.

Additional support is provided by Jack and Susan Rudin, gifts in honor of Emily K. Rafferty, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, Judith Lee Stronach and Raymond Lifchez, Marilyn M. Simpson Charitable Trust, Ittleson Foundation, The Thorne Foundation, Mary Jaharis, Nellie and Robert Gipson, The Billy Rose Foundation, Winston Foundation, Solow Art and Architecture Foundation, and Susan Boynton.