Public Space One (PS1) is an artist-led, community-driven contemporary art organization in Iowa City that aims to provide independent and inclusive spaces for making and presenting art through exhibitions, performances, residency programs, education, artist resources, and advocacy. As one of PS1’s major programs, The Center for Afrofuturist Studies (CAS) supports the creative work of re-imagining new futures for marginalized peoples through community-engaged residencies for artists, writers, performers, and curators of color and public programs and resources related to the intersections of race, technology, and the diaspora. http://www.publicspaceone.com/
Internship #5 – Center for Afrofuturist Studies Partnership & Program Development
During Summer 2020, the Center for Afrofuturist Studies’ activities will include hosting two residencies with visual artist Antoine Williams and dancers/scholars André Zachery and Deborah Goff; continuing development and activation of its new reading room/archive space at PS1; and developing partnerships with local and regional organizations that broaden the reach of current CAS work and/or develop new collaborative programs.
The intern will be invited to be a full collaborator on the CAS team and will work closely with PS1 staff and organizers to realize these projects. The individual’s core project during the internship will be to research and meet with local and regional organizations and groups who are potential collaborators, with the end goal of producing a small database of potential partners, a partnership deck, and a simple evaluative tool for assessing partnerships. There is also a possibility of collaborating with the intern at Hancher to plan potential programming that will benefit both organizations.
Key Responsibilities
- Research, conduct outreach, and devise partnerships/collaborations with local and regional organizations
- Design and/or facilitate two public programs through the CAS reading room in conjunction with these partnerships
- Assist with the coordination of two CAS summer residencies
- Develop communication collateral, grant proposals, and/or strategies for archiving/access of CAS-developed resources, depending on the intern’s interest/skills
Qualifications & Skills Preferred
- Experience and/or interest in community engagement and collaboration
- Interest in and/or knowledge of topics related to critical race studies and/or contemporary art (including visual art, performance, cinema, and/or literature)
- Ability to make “cold calls” and meet with potential partners
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to work both independently and in close collaboration with colleagues
Supervisor: Kalmia Strong, Co-Director, Public Space One
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