The application process for our 2021 internship included exceptional students across the country passionate about advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts & culture. After a thorough interview and selection process, we are pleased to announce this year's intern cohort.
Collin S. - Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities Hadley V. - Denver Center for the Performing Arts Hunter N. - Center for Visual Art, MSU Denver Jess B. - Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Matthew C. - Denver Center for the Performing Arts Sophia O. - Denver Botanic Gardens Tahlia L. - Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities
Our 2021 cohort will be working full-time for 10 weeks over the summer. As they gain firsthand experience about leadership and management in the nonprofit arts & culture community, DITA interns participate in workshops designed to grow their voices as DEI advocates, culminating in a proposal presented to their host site on ways to further their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Meet the DITA Team
Our program is run by a Program Administrator overseen by a diverse Advisory Board with each member bringing a vital perspective and history of DEI advocacy to help DITA work toward our vision. DITA's Vision: The staff and leadership of all Colorado arts and culture organizations will be representative of the wide, vibrant, and diverse array of our community members.
Kirsten Lang - Program Administrator Born and raised in Colorado, Kirsten received a B.S. in Political Science from Arizona State University. After graduating, she worked in the Colorado State Senate as a Legislative Aide before becoming active as a theatre actress within the Denver Metro Area. As a black women living with a disability, Kirsten’s personal experience in theatre and political background combined to spark her passion for increasing, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. Having been on the DITA team since the program's launch in 2019, she is thrilled to experience its ongoing growth.
Rachel Basye - Advisory Board Rachel Basye is Executive Director at the Art Students League of Denver, an artistic community where people of all abilities are guided by professional artists to reach their highest potential. In addition, she is a mayoral appointee to the Denver Commission for Cultural Affairs and sits on the Boards of Directors for the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts the newly formed Westwood Creative District, D3Arts. In 2015, she was selected as a Bonfils-Stanton Livingston Fellow, in recognition of her non-profit leadership abilities. As a practicing artist, she is a member of The Mix, an artists’ collaborative in Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District. Ms. Basye received her BA in International Affairs and German and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Colorado.
Tessa Crisman - Advisory Board Tessa Crisman is an artist and nonprofit professional based in Denver, Colorado. After several years working in member services at the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Botanic Gardens, she now works as Communications Specialist at the Art Students League of Denver, a nonprofit that provides arts education to artists of all ages and abilities. Tessa is interested in fostering creative communities that center social justice. In her spare time she enjoys growing vegetables, befriending cats, and knitting.
Chrissy Deal - Advisory Board Chrissy Deal is Director of the Livingston Fellowship Program, Arts & Social Change Grantmaking at the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation where she leads the continued development of the Livingston Fellowship in support of its nonprofit leaders. She also guides the Foundation’s grantmaking strategies for investing in and celebrating the artistic and cultural contributions of Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, disability and other historically marginalized communities. With over 20 years of nonprofit and philanthropic experience, Chrissy has served as a trustee at the Denver Foundation, is a founding member of the LatinasGive! giving circle as well as an advisor for the Community ACTS Fund and Diversity in the Arts Internship—community-based initiatives designed to amplify the voices of traditionally under-resourced communities in the Denver area. Chrissy is proud of her deep Colorado roots and resides in North Denver with her husband and two young sons.
Hannah Lim - Advisory Board As an alumna from the 2020 DITA Cohort, Hannah completed an internship with the Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities. Studying Art History and Ceramics at the University of Northern Colorado, Hannah aims to exhibit work that represents the underrepresented duality of the Korean-American experience and recently co-curated an exhibit at the Mariana Gallery entitled Marching On. She genuinely loved every second of working with artists, seeing how a blank space could be transformed into an emotional dispersion of insight, and interacting with the growing art community around her.
Mae Mohr - Advisory Board Mae Mohr is currently studying at Colorado State University, where she has the pleasure of being an Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Major. Being able to spend most of her college career examining the field of Ethnic Studies has allowed her to grow in her knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It has also lead her to her job as DEI Intern at StudioNorth Inc. While attending CSU, Mae has also been able to delve into her passions for photography and mental health advocacy. Mae was a DITA intern herself and is proud to be an alumnus of the 2020 cohort. The powerful mission for representation and equity was inspiring to her, as well as the genuine intentionality behind the creation of the program. Mae is so incredibly honored and excited to be a part of a team that is dedicated to creating such positive change in Colorado.