Higher education can be bleak and exhausting. In some cases it can lack life and color. That’s where the CUNY Arts Initiative intervenes. One of the things that they aim for is to incorporate the involvement of arts and creative exploration for students. The Initiative makes it so that all students can be exposed to the array of creativity that NYC art offers.
The Initiative offers paid internships for students to further delve into the artistic world of New York. When asked about the program, Kimberlee Rios, senior program manager of CUNY Cultural Corps said that it, “Provides paid opportunities for CUNY students to work in the City’s arts and cultural sector including the visual, literary, and performing arts as well as public-oriented science and humanities institutions Since 2016, over a thousand CUNY undergraduate and graduate students participated in the program.”
Other than the CUNY Cultural Corps program, paid internships are also provided by the 42nd Street College Corps. This too is part of the CUNY Arts Initiative, giving students a great opportunity to explore the world outside academics while also being able to work toward a professional developed career.
The CUNY Arts Initiative also participates in the Theatre Development Fund’s Broadway passport series, allowing the opportunity for CUNY students to get discounted tickets to Broadway shows.
The Initiative further provides special access to a plethora of places that explore New York and its enriched culture such as El Museo del Barrio, Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Jewish Museum, and the Leslie- Lohman Museum of Art.
This special access to many places makes it easier for students to learn and explore through their own volition.
The CUNY Arts Initiative is truly important for a nurturing university experience where students not only get crucial education, but also grasp the artistic heart of New York.
