Position Description: Catskills based contemporary multi-arts center, Mount Tremper Arts (MTA), is seeking two interns for its annual Summer Festival from July 10 – Aug 19 in the Catskill Mountains. The 2012 MTA Summer Festival will feature leading contemporary artists in Dance, Experimental Theatre, New Music, Poetry, Visual Art, plus MTA’s hybrid food and art events.

Successful candidates will be passionate about the arts, hard-working, and ready to join a small staff team which supports all aspects of the festival. Responsibilities will vary widely and may include production assistance, box office and house management, marketing, database entry, research, general administration, preparation of artist’s rooms, ongoing cleaning and upkeep of the house and grounds, errands, preparation of communal meals, and garden work. The Mount Tremper Arts Internship is a rare opportunity to be in close informal contact with leading contemporary artists. Interns and staff members share nightly dinners with the guest artists and these meals provide wonderful opportunities for insight into different artistic working styles and current aesthetic questions. Interns are also present at all festival performances, talks and events.

Candidates should understand the MTA has a small staff and all positions are hands-on and require an energetic commitment to supporting the unique “summer camp for artists” environment that MTA cultivates. At times the festival can be a high-stress fast-paced environment, with some 12-hour days. And while all of the work supports art, much of it is not glamorous. Interns at MTA learn about the field by participating in the running of the festival and also, because of our small staff, interns have the opportunity to observe and closely interact, mostly during meals, with all of our resident artists. Candidates who are overly shy or have difficulty engaging with new people may not be well suited to learn from this internship opportunity.

Housing in proximity to MTA’s campus will be provided, along with nightly dinners with staff and resident artists. Interns provide their own breakfast and lunch as well as dinner on their days off. Interns will have two days off per week, Sunday/Monday or Monday/Tuesday. The position is unpaid.

Important qualifications for the position include:

• Graduate students preferred, candidates must be mature and have a resume that shows evidence of dedication to the field of the arts.
• Because of MTA’s rural location, applicants must have a valid driver’s license. We’re sorry but this is non-negotiable as driving to pick up resident artists, helping with errands, and distributing marketing materials around the community is an important part of the internship position.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a fast paced environment.
• Independent, able to both follow instructions while also being resourceful and able to figure out tasks with a minimum of supervision.
• Naturally curious and interested in a range of contemporary artistic practices and methodologies.

Dates: July 10 – Aug 19 with possible early extension of June 1 – July 10.a
Contact: Mathew Pokoik, Executive Director, Mount Tremper Arts

Please email cover letter, resume, two professional or university references and one non-family personal reference to Mathew Pokoik at info(at)mttremperarts.org
Candidates must be able to meet for a face to face interview in NYC or Mount Tremper.

About Mount Tremper Arts (MTA): Nestled in the wild and beautiful Catskill Mountains, just 2 hours from New York City, MTA supports contemporary artists in the creation and presentation of new works of art. Founded by choreographer Aynsley Vandenbroucke and photographer Mathew Pokoik, MTA is an artist-run space that fosters an environment of creative risk taking and intellectual curiosity through an integration of performances, exhibitions, artist residencies, and hybrid programming. With an intensive Summer Festival and year-round Creative Development Residencies for artists, MTA nurtures both the solitude necessary for making artistic work and the community needed to share it. Perhaps add artists here.

MTA is located in the Catskill State Park, adjacent to parkland and by the Esopus Creek. We have amazing swimming holes, hiking, fishing, cycling, and a large vegetable and ornamental garden on-site. Local agricultural models influence MTA’s programming, as issues of economic and environmental sustainability are a core concern of the center.

http://www.mounttremperarts.org

Press Quotes:

“If your summer has room for only one quick dance getaway, you won’t do better than this interdisciplinary, artist-run festival in the Catskills, where the atmosphere is decidedly low key, and sumptuous food offerings are paired with sophisticated contemporary dance.” Claudia La Rocco, The New York Times, May 5, 2011

"The Catskills festival combines barns, barbecues, and campfires with photography exhibitions and some of the most sophisticated voices in contemporary dance." The New Yorker, July 5, 2010

“Attending summer dance festivals held in idyllic settings often feels like crashing another generation’s party. Happily, for younger people interested in dance and performance, there is a festival newcomer, Mount Tremper Arts, with a much fresher and far more experimental program than many of its older festival relations.” The Last Magazine, Aug. 6, 2010