Meet our L.A. County Arts Commission 2016 Summer Intern

Name: Victoria Orantes

Age:  21-years old

Home town: Echo Park, Los Angeles

College: Los Angeles Trade- Technical College

Self-description:  Nature loving, culture seeker in the arts and theatre

Internship Position: Programs and Development Intern for LAMusArt’s Camp MusArt

What: This summer I interned at LAMusArt as a Programs and Development Intern for ten weeks; five of which were during the annual summer program, Camp MusArt.  This position was my first full-time job and it led to my first costume design credit! This was also my first time working with children (ages 6 to 15) and my second time working within the field of arts education and administration.

Bird Girls Concept Art

A typical day looks like: A typical day at LAMusArt is hard to define when working with 53 children packed with energy, but overall my duties included: designing camp materials for print, learning the importance of funding and promotion for a non-profit, costume designing our production of Seussical Jr., and occasionally supervising and running after kids!

Favorite memory: Performance day of Seussical Jr! Watching from the wings of the stage was nothing short of emotional.  It was a beautiful story being told by our talented youth, wearing costumes that were exactly as I had imagined them to be. What more could I ask? Many moments like these made my internship golden.  

Dream job after college: I’ve always been interested in a career as a costume designer for theatre, but my other interests also include classic car collecting and archeology. Thank to this internship, though, a career in arts administration also interests me as well.

Bird Girl Costumes

Advice to future interns: I advise all future interns to appreciate the services LAMusArt and other arts organizations provide for their communities. Organizations such as these help make the world a more talented, interesting, and passionate place.  

Any thoughts on your experience as a L.A. County Arts Intern:  I am so grateful to the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.  Truly, what a top-notch internship! This internship experience made it clear to me that the arts are not just for passing time, but that a professional career in them is possible. Thank you so much for ten fantastic weeks of learning and employment!  

Mayor and Wife Costumes

Mayor and Wife Concept Art

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission Internship Program was established in 2000 by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to provide internships for nonprofit performing, presenting, and literary and municipal arts organizations. The Internship Program provides undergraduate students with meaningful on-the-job training and experience working in nonprofit arts organizations, while assisting arts organizations and developing future arts leaders. 

For more information please visit www.lacountyarts.org/internship.html