UNC Charlotte Student Receives Diversity in Arts Leadership Internship
UNC Charlotte student Alex Gomes has been accepted into the 2021 Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL) internship program established by Americans for the Arts. Gomes is a theatre and health management systems double major and a Martin Scholar. He is one of just 25 recipients of a 2021 DIAL internship out of 504 applicants and is the only representative from the Carolinas.
Now in its 29th year, the DIAL internship program matches students from backgrounds underrepresented in arts leadership with host arts organizations for a 10-week summer internship that includes mentorship, professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and a $4,500 stipend. This summer Gomes will work with The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance (BAAD!) in New York City, although the work will be done virtually because of COVID. He will have both a supervisor, BAAD! Deputy Director Marcus Gualberto, and a mentor, Lesley Hunter, who has more than 20 years in arts administration.
“Receiving this internship will tremendously help me in developing as an aspiring arts administrator,” Gomes said. “Learning and gaining experience in this field as a DIAL Intern will not only affirm that this path I’ve chosen and worked towards is the path for me, but will also assist me in opening doors for others like me, especially young Black boys and girls who, like myself, didn’t even know that this career existed. Working with creatives, especially creatives of color, has been my lifelong dream and I genuinely feel that this internship will help realize this dream.”
Gomes will graduate from UNC Charlotte in 2021. A field trip to Washington, D.C., as a Martin Scholar ignited an interest in the Capitol City, and he hopes to attend graduate school in arts administration there in the future. Ultimately, he is interested in program development and aspires to work with performance artists, writers, and directors – especially those who identify as people of color – to create meaningful arts experiences for diverse communities.