"Coming out of the History Department at MCLA, and also having spent three years working on the Student Government Association (SGA), I had hoped to continue to pursue my interests and get a job working in government. I had been to the State House a few times for Student Lobby days, and had been in touch with my local representatives all throughout school, so after graduation, this was certainly to my advantage, as I now work on Beacon Hill."

Danielle Barboza ’06
Survivor Benefits Analyst – State Retirement Board, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
 
B-HIP

The Berkshire Hills Internship Program (B-HIP) is an intensive semester-long arts management internship program uniting the renowned cultural institutions of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with students interested in arts administration. 

The Berkshires are a vital part of the cultural corridor between New York City and southern Vermont.  With over sixty cultural venues in the county, from Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Clark Art Institute, to Barrington Stage Company, Ferrin Gallery, and MASS MoCA, they range from classic to cutting edge.

B-HIP is a college course / internship program that runs each spring and summer semester.  Students can earn 12 undergraduate credits through Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or graduate credits through their own university.  The course may also be taken on a non-credit basis, instead, earning a certificate of completion. 

Students are placed at full-time upper-level internships tailored to their interests and skill sets. They have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in development, marketing, film editing, arts education, programming and more.  

B-HIP interns attend a bi-weekly class, which gives them an opportunity to absorb and evaluate all they have learned on-site and on location. The mixture of theory and practice come together in a class designed for reflection and analysis.   

Interns also attend bi-weekly “Talk-Backs.” These sessions give interns the opportunity to meet, network with and learn from top-level arts management professionals in the Berkshires.  The guest speakers give back-stage tours of their institutions and offer candid “talk-back” information not generally available to students. 

From behind the curtain to the front row, weekly cultural outings give interns a chance to experience all of the forms of art that the Berkshires have to offer.  Outings range from private, curator-led tours at notable art museums to indie films screenings.

B-HIP offers interns educational and career advancement opportunities that are hard to find elsewhere.

 

    

To learn more about the program, contact us:

Jonathan D. Secor
Director of Special Programs
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
375 Church Street, North Adams, MA 01247-4100
413-664-8718 • Fax: 413-662-5104
jonathan.secor@mcla.edu 

Jessica Conzo
Program Coordinator
Berkshire Cultural Resource Center
375 Church Street, North Adams, MA 01247-4100
413-663-5253 • Fax: 413-662-5104
jessica.conzo@mcla.edu
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
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