My Winter Internship Experience at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA)
The longer I’m at Harvard, the more I realize how many different paths I could pursue in the future. Interestingly, I’ve come to appreciate that uncertainty. I started as a Computer Science concentrator with a small interest in African history. After taking one African Studies course that I loved, that interest grew into a full-blown double concentration. This ability to explore diverse fields has been one of the highlights of my time here, and it’s also what led me to my winter internship at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA).
BCA is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Boston artists through residencies, exhibitions, and fellowships. Many of Boston’s artists are currently facing challenges with rising costs of living and a lack of affordable studio spaces. BCA helps address these issues through initiatives like its studio residency program, which provides subsidized studio space and support for visual and interdisciplinary artists.
I had the pleasure of joining BCA’s Development team, which raises funds to support their operations, including this residency program. As an intern, I helped research funding opportunities, manage grant applications, coordinate events, and organize documents to ensure they met funding guidelines.
One of the highlights of my time at BCA was attending their first Art Aperitif of the year, which featured Waste Scenes by Maia Chao and Fred Schmidt-Arenales. The exhibition explores themes of trash, value, and desire in corporate culture and neoliberal capitalism. I also had the opportunity to visit BCA’s open house for the studio residency program, where artists showcased their work in open studio tours. Walking through the studios felt like stepping into a living art gallery. I had the privilege of meeting some incredibly talented artists, including Jameel Radcliffe, who creates stunning oil portraits of his family and community in a studio he shares with Rebecca Greene.
Through this internship, I’ve come to appreciate how the arts intersect with social issues, the efforts needed to sustain them, and the role creative industries play in community advocacy. It reaffirmed that there’s a place for people like me, where seemingly unrelated interests can come together when given the right opportunity. More than anything, it reminded me that stepping into new spaces and building new skills is always worth it.
I also loved exploring the South End neighborhood. For many Harvard students, the city starts and ends with campus and Logan Airport (and, for me, the occasional Chick-fil-A run or trip to my favorite beauty supply store in Dorchester). But this internship allowed me to explore and try so many great restaurants in the area—and most importantly, discover Billy’s Sub Shop, home to some of the best deli sandwiches I’ve ever had!
I’m incredibly grateful to the MCS for connecting me with this opportunity and to my team at BCA for one of my favorite internship experiences. And for anyone curious about local artists or looking to get involved in Boston’s art scene, I highly recommend visiting BCA’s free exhibitions and open houses!
