AVPA Art Students Intern at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

LACMA interns From left to right: Azalie Welsh, Tamara Mosher and Angela Bac. Submitted photo

Three Culver City High School students were recently selected to serve as paid interns at one of the most significant museums in Los Angeles.

Seniors, Angela Bac and Tamara Mosher, and Junior, Azalie Welsh, visual arts students in the school’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA), were chosen to participate in the year-long program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) beginning this spring. The museum internships were awarded to students from a total of 11 high schools in Orange Los Angeles counties.

Throughout the months of March and April, the three AVPA art students will tour the culturally rich Latin American Art galleries for students from fifth grade to 12th. Students will view artwork and consider the influences, design, materials and techniques used by the artists. The tours involve inquiry-based discussion and art-making activities, which are incorporated into the experience. Each tour is designed and researched by LACMA interns for an exclusive tour.

Welsh, recently awarded top honors from The  Scholastic Writing Award Competition, said she feels “incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to learn about art in a museum setting” and that she plans to share her excitement about the artwork with each tour participant.

“More than any factual information, I think an eagerness to explore the artwork, its history and its place in the world is what will continue to be important long after the tours conclude,” Welsh said.

Tamara Mosher said of her LACMA internship experience, “We’ve all worked diligently throughout the school year to plan and research our tours. I am excited to finally see them put into action. My goal for each tour focuses on each student who will attend. I want them to enjoy themselves and learn something new and meaningful along the way.”

Today, the interns will conduct tours for other AVPA art students and Advanced Placement Spanish teacher, Bryan Sullivan.

“Acceptance to internship programs provides professional experiences for my art students,” said Kristine Hatanaka, AVPA’s co-executive director and the director of the visual art department. “It encourages and inspires them to further expand their creativity beyond the classroom environment into a profession they may consider in their future.”