Dear History Graduate Students,

I wanted to send word of a internship opportunity for Spring semester that is especially well-suited to students interested in the visual arts and DC history.  The internship focuses on Washington D.C. murals.  There is also a $500.00 stipend.  If anyone is interested, please contact me as soon as possible.

Here are the details:

INTERNSHIP/DIRECTED RESEARCH/INDEPENDENT STUDY
SPRING SEMESTER 2013
WASHINGTON MURALS: SPECTACLE AND STORY

This announcement describes an internship or independent study opportunity for an
undergraduate or graduate student with an interest in local history and public art. Since
1995 Perry Frank, Ph.D. (American Dreams & Associates, Inc.) has been documenting
the contemporary outdoor murals of Washington, DC, through photographs and oral
histories. The purpose of the project is to preserve, explain, and make more accessible
the cycle of contemporary mural art dating from the late 1960s to the present. The
contemporary murals are important cultural products and features, both reflecting and
shaping their neighborhoods; they are also inextricably linked with local, national, and
global history.

Over the years American Dreams has presented results of this project through public
presentations, most recently on May 19, 2012, at the Anacostia Design Center as
part of the Lumen8 cultural festival. American Dreams has a website that displays
selected murals and provides background on their composition, creators, sponsors, and
neighborhoods (www.dcmurals.info). This project is funded in part by the Humanities
Council of Washington, DC, and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

The research collection consists of both paper and digital files, including photographs,
interview tapes and transcripts, secondary materials, and memorabilia. We are moving
forward to complete the initial phase of the website, which currently displays 25 murals
in five categories and will add 10 new murals in the coming weeks.

Project Structure
• Schedule: About 12 hours a week, with flexibility depending on student’s needs
• Place: Home base will be the American Dreams office, co-located with City
Arts, LLC, at 614 S St., NW. Transportation accessible by bus and metro.
• Compensation: 3 hours credit (provided by university) and $500 stipend (provided
by American Dreams)

Goals/Responsibilities
Primary:
• Organize the project’s paper and electronic files, to facilitate current use and
provide a basis for eventual donation of the collection
Secondary, depending on time and interests:
• Create interview scripts and conduct recorded interviews with artists and sponsors
• Assist in secondary source research to anchor the commentary that accompanies
each mural on the website
• Draft website content, including commentary and blog
• Assist in developing publicity and planning public events

Contact:
Ms. Perry Frank, Ph.D., President
American Dreams & Associates, Inc.
614 S St., NW
Washington, DC 20010
202-997-3011
[log in to unmask]
www.dcmurals.info


Suzanne E. Smith
Professor of History
Internship Director
Department of History and Art History
George Mason University
(703)993-2147
(703)993-1251 (fax)