June Bloom: Reviewing month one of DITA

How do you measure a ten week internship? Do you count the number of emails answered and meetings attended, or add up old goals achieved and new dreams unlocked?

All we know is that ten weeks sounds long when we're conducting interviews, and then jumps to hyper-speed as soon as orientation has ended. We're in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it part of the summer, so we're stopping by to fill you in before the rest of Cohort Seven's internship whizzes past!

Orientation

Interns chat during orientation

On June 2, we hosted intern orientation at Art Students League of Denver (which is also the administrative home of DITA). Each intern cohort is completely unique, and even after a rigorous interview process and careful candidate selection, it's always a surprise to experience the energy in the room when a new cohort is together for the first time. Some years, orientation starts out with absolute silence as interns get their bearings and begin to bond; but for Cohort Lucky Number Seven, the connection was instant.! After about two minutes and two bites of their tacos, the 2025 interns filled the room with lively laughter and conversation. Interns spent the afternoon getting to know one another and learning what to expect on their first day of work.

Learning & Networking Panel at the Denver Art Museum

A DAM docent gives interns a tour of the contemporary galleries

With the first two weeks of work at their host sites under their belts, interns gathered together for the first Learning & Networking event of the summer. The event was a panel discussion with local arts leaders, hosted by the Denver Art Museum in conjunction with their Pathways Exploration Internship program. Interns took a quick spin around the galleries of the Hamilton building (guided by DAM's excellent docents) and then settled in to gather wisdom from artist and art educator Aisha Renee, music professional Alicia "Bruce" Trujillo, and artist Jeff Page (and moderated by our very own DITA alumni board member Keandra Hunt). These seasoned cultural workers shared about their experiences creating the spaces they felt were missing in Denver, bringing their full identities to every table they sit at, and coping with imposter syndrome. Interns from both DAM and DITA also had a chance to share their concerns about joining the creative workforce in this era, and hear panelists' recommendations for facing the future while remaining true to themselves.

Panelists speak to interns about being part of the cultural workforce in Denver

Later this week, we'll head to the Shop at MATTER for an afternoon of printmaking with Rick Griffith, and then interns have just three weeks of DITA left before end-of-summer graduation! We'll be back soon with another update.