The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) will expand its support for The Museum of Modern Art’s 12-month internship program, which places young professionals and graduate students of Greek nationality within the Museum’s various departments. The increased support—an outcome of the program’s ongoing success and great demand—will enable a fourth Greek national to participate in the program and will extend the internship initiative through 2022.
The SNF first provided support to launch the MoMA internship program in 2013 through its Recharging the Youth (RTY) initiative, a commitment of $136 million to create new opportunities for Greece’s younger generation severely impacted by the country’s staggering youth unemployment rate. Since then, there have been nine interns/alumni, who have interned in various Museum departments, including the Education Department, the Department of Film, and the Department of Research and Development.
The Co-President of the SNF, Mr. Andreas Dracopoulos, stated, “The SNF’s collaboration with MoMA is an important example of our continuous commitment as a philanthropic institution to helping provide a strong and stable future for younger generations. This program is offered specifically to young Greeks, who have navigated their early careers during Greece’s ongoing socio-economic crisis. MoMA internships are highly competitive and provide these young professionals with the ability to learn and grow by working within one of the world’s greatest museums. The internships offer young people a unique opportunity with the potential to improve their careers significantly.”
“We are thrilled to work with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to provide internships for bright and driven young Greek nationals,” said Todd Bishop, Senior Deputy Director of External Affairs, The Museum of Modern Art. “We’ve seen firsthand how their perspectives contribute to an exchange of diverse ideas, opinions, and global perspectives that’s so important in today’s world.”
Past interns, who participated in the program with the SNF’s support, stated:
“The 12-Month Internship program at the Museum has given me the opportunity to work on several exciting curatorial projects, including the ‘From the Collection: Artists at Mid to Late Career’ exhibition that will open in November 2017. It has also allowed me to work closely with the Department’s varied collection for its ongoing displays and re-installations in the permanent collection galleries throughout the year and to keep thinking about the countless ways to explore the history and curation of modern and contemporary art.”
– Dinos Chatzirafailidis, intern in the Department of Painting and Sculpture, 2016-2017
“I feel truly grateful for being part of this program supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. This experience has actually brought a shift in my gaze, into my work and into my life.”
– Xaviera Kouvara, intern in the Department of Research and Development, 2016-2017
“Thanks to the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, I had the opportunity to work in the Director’s Office for 12 months. Working with the Director and his team was an extraordinary opportunity to gain insight into the art world and its operations, while having a birds-eye view of the entire Museum and its inner workings. Due to the nature of my role, I collaborated closely with a variety of departments and worked on several projects at once, thus developing skills that will be applicable to any future endeavors.”
– Vaso Papadopoulou, intern in the Director’s Office, 2016-2017
Synergies – The establishment of ARTWorks
In addition to the extension of its support to the Museum’s Internship Program, the SNF will fully fund a new initiative, created by two past MoMA interns, which aims to empower 460 young artists in Greece—who may otherwise not have the means to pursue their artistic endeavors—to reflect, explore and experiment in their respective fields. Dimitra Nikolou (Architecture & Design, 2013-2014) and Marily Konstantinopoulou (Research & Development, 2015-2016) have partnered to create ARTWORKS, an organization that will provide financial aid and opportunities for artists in Greece, thereby enabling them to develop their creative practice and form collaborations with peers, communities and institutions, modeled after the Federal Art Project in the US.
“Through our experience at The Museum of Modern Art, we have been exposed to stimulating ideas that we are now eager to apply for the launch of the SNF Artist Fellowship Program. Besides offering immediate relief, we aspire to contribute in the creation of a healthy environment for young artists to experiment and support those who form the creative capital of Greece to develop a sustainable career,” said Dimitra Nikolou and Marily Konstantinopoulou.
Additional information about ARTWorks will become available shortly.
