Fall 2026 Internship Program

I felt that the mission aligned with my values of uplifting Hispanic and Latinx voices, and I decided to apply. I’ve love being able to see and participate in the process of advertising Viva la Vida. From researching spots to advertise to helping create the ads themselves, I’ve loved being able to learn more about such a wonderful event that highlights the Latinx community.

This internship is benefiting my career by showing me the ins and outs of building a marketing campaign for an event. As someone who interned at my city’s chamber of commerce last summer, I got to see a glimpse of how those events are held and how word is spread from there, but being able to have hands-on experience with an event like Viva has definitely developed my marketing knowledge. Plus, I’m receiving more generalized experience of working in a field I’m interested in. As someone who is also the PR Director for my school’s radio station, KVRX 91.7, I can use the skills I learned at the museum and continue practicing into the school year.”

“My name is Aidan Erik Montes,  I attend The University of Texas at Austin. I’m in the process of pursuing a Bachelors in Fine arts with a specialization in Design.

I applied to Mexic-Arte Museum internship in hopes to gain more of an understanding of how an art gallery operates internally while learning how I as a creative can help contribute to its success.

So far my favorite project has been working on the signage and creative direction for an upcoming unannounced exhibition. Seeing all the planning that goes into an exhibition from start to finish as well as seeing how I can contribute to the team’s broader creative goals has been really exciting.

The mexic-arte internship has not only provided me with ample experience working in the world of fine arts, but has also allowed me to connect with foster professional relationships with and learn from other like minded Latinx creatives.

Alongside my design work I also spend a significant amount of time painting and exhibiting my work around town!  If you’d like you can view my paintings on my Instagram! @aidanmontes.art“

“My name is Jose Velazco. I attend The University of Texas at Austin, and my major is Radio Television and Film with a Latino Media Studies minor.

I applied to the Mexic-Arte Museum Latino Museum Internship Expansion Project because, as someone who grew up in Mexico I wanted to be able to bring my personal perspective to Mexic-Arte. I have been interested in expanding my digital media knowledge while contributing my filmmaking skills to the Mexic-Arte team.

So far my favorite project at the museum has been working on creating a library of B-Roll for Mexic-Arte to utilize. I have been taking photos of the 5th Street Mexican American Cultural District to see what locations will look best for when I bring my professional camera to record. These videos would be utilized in the future as digital assets for our website and social media platforms.

This internship is benefiting my career because I have been able to learn new aspects about digital media. I have been able to do hands-on work with the website and I have been learning from my supervisors on how to best update the pages in the website. This has benefitted my website building skills and I have utilized these skills to better my portfolio website.”

“My name is Anna Gutierrez, and I attend The University of Texas at Austin. I am a double major in Government and Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, with a plan to minor in Public Policy. 

I applied to deepen my understanding of my own heritage and the history of the Chicano movement. To me, being Chicano represents pride in our culture, resilience, and the generations who fought for opportunities that students like me have today. This internship allows me to learn from those stories while contributing to an institution that preserves and celebrates our community.

My favorite project has been collaborating with the development coordinator, Mindy, on strengthening the museum’s membership program. It has been exciting to help modernize and digitize the membership process while learning how thoughtful fundraising and member engagement support the museum’s mission.

This internship has given me invaluable mentorship and hands-on experience in museum development, nonprofit fundraising, and community engagement. As my first internship, I am incredibly grateful to be learning in an organization that reflects my values and cultural heritage while preparing me for a future in advocacy and public service for Latino communities.

I am excited to enter my junior year and continue to grow as an advocate for my community. Outside the museum, I serve as a Campus Fellow with The Texas Project, organizing students to increase civic engagement and support State Representative James Talarico’s U.S. Senate campaign. I look forward to continuing to build meaningful connections between civic engagement, cultural preservation, and community advocacy.”

“My name is Mayahuel Crane and I recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May. I graduated as a double major in Government and Mexican-American + Latino Studies, graduating in the 31st and final undergraduate cohort of the UT Austin Latino Studies department. I also graduated with a double minor in Sociology and African + African Diaspora Studies, also graduating with the final undergraduate cohort of the UT Austin Black Studies department. 

I applied to the Mexic-Arte Museum Latino Museum Internship Expansion Project because I am passionate about education and accessibility. Museums and archives act as knowledge keepers for our communities, and it is very important to me that our histories are preserved and shared so we can continue to learn from them. 

My favorite activity has been interpreting our exhibit documents from English into Spanish, it feels good to know I can be a part of making Mexic-Arte a space where anyone can learn. I have also loved creating activities to correspond with upcoming exhibits! It’s very exciting to work in a space where different kinds of learning are encouraged and accommodated, and where we can be challenged to come up with activities that are engaging for visual, tactile, and auditory learners alike.

In the fall I will be moving to Boston to begin my first year of law school with a focus on public interest law. I am largely pursuing law because of the love I feel for my community and culture. My experience at Mexic-Arte, as do all the experiences of my life, informs the way I show up for my community, and the way I will continue to show up for the systematically marginalized throughout my career. Additionally, research, communication, translation, interpretation, and advocacy are all skills I strengthen while here, skills I will surely continue to use when practicing law.”

“My name is Lizeth Moctezuma, and I am a Studio Art and English double major at Washington and Lee University.

I applied for this internship because I took a Mexican Muralism course at my university and fell in love with Latin, Mexican, and Chicane artistic works. Given my cultural heritage as Mexican-American, I wanted to become involved with sharing education about the rich history and experiences from Hispanic culture at the local level, starting from my hometown.

My favorite activities so far have been working with students during family and summer camp days. I love engaging with the local community, conversing with kids about their interests and how they overlap with activities, all while sharing the excitement of learning outside the typical classroom environment.

As someone who is pursuing a postgraduate career in public service, this internship is an opportunity for me to gain exposure and experience working in the museum sector. I see my time at Mexic-Arte as a way to refine my logistical planning skills as I develop more accessible educational art material for the public community.

I am really looking forward to helping lead the Nuestro Estilo summer camps! My undergraduate passion for art began because of sewing workshops I attended; I would love to be on the instructor’s end to help students find their interests in creating art.”

“Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth Valdes, and I am the curatorial intern here at the Mexic-Arte Museum. I’m an upcoming senior at the University of Texas at Austin, where I study Global and Intercultural Communication. I applied to Mexic Arte because I’ve become increasingly fascinated by everything that happens behind the scenes in museum curation. Curating an exhibition is such a purposeful process, and it raises questions that really inspire me: who gets to tell history, whose voices are represented, and how do museums create exhibitions that are both authentic and meaningful? I’m passionate about the power of storytelling, especially when it comes to preserving and sharing cultural heritage. I believe there’s a great deal of emotional responsibility that comes with telling these stories, and I think that’s a beautiful process to be part of.

From my very first visit to Mexic-Arte, I could tell the museum was rooted not only in authenticity but also in community. I attended the opening of Rosas y Revelaciones, and I immediately felt welcomed by the staff and visitors. I especially admired the thoughtful use of clothing and fabric throughout the exhibition. It made me feel connected to a history that I’ve always wanted to learn more about, and that experience confirmed that this was the kind of institution I wanted to learn from.

My favorite project has been researching for an installation for the museum’s upcoming exhibition commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. I’ve been diving into primary sources, visiting other museums for inspiration, and reading books to better understand the historical context. I really enjoy the research process because every source adds another layer to the story we’re trying to tell. What excites me the most is that this research will eventually be translated into an exhibition through collaboration with artists. Seeing an idea develop from historical research into an immersive experience for visitors is something I’m really looking forward to.

Although I’m still exploring exactly where I want my career to take me, I know that I want to work with museums, heritage organizations, or other cultural institutions that preserve and share history in meaningful ways. I’m seeing how much research, collaboration, and thoughtful conversation happen before anything ever reaches the gallery floor. It’s shown me just how much exhibitions are carefully crafted stories that require historical accuracy, creativity, and community engagement. Being part of that process has strengthened my passion for cultural storytelling and has helped me see how I can contribute to preserving and sharing history in the future.”

“Hello! My name is Lelianna Valdez. I’m an Art History major, with a minor in Mexican-American and Latina/o Studies and pursuing a certificate in Museum Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

I applied to the Mexic-Arte Museum’s collections internship to gain valuable experience working in a museum collection, and learning how Mexican-American and Latin American histories are maintained. To be able to work in a collection is a blessing to me, however, to work at one that is entwined with the cultures that I grew up in is so special to me. This gave me the confidence to apply and fortunately get the role. 

So far, my favorite project I have worked on is the upcoming exhibitions. For them, I have been looking through the museum’s permanent collection for possible pieces to include. I love to see the collection’s distinct artworks, and research the histories that pieces have with their artist and their collector(s). There are many artworks that I would not have expected to find at Mexic-Arte, but they make the collection extremely unique and captivating.

It has been such an honor to have this internship to learn about the importance of registrars and collections to preserve artworks and histories that the museum represents. Mexic-Arte is unique with its collection and exhibitions, and working here has given me amazing experience working with the staff and with the objects of the collection. 

I look forward to being able to carry out my career with all that I have learned from Mexic-Arte, and seeing the museum’s growth and success into the future!”

“My name is Lauren Crumpler. I attend Austin Community College, where I am finishing my degree in Studio Art.

I applied for this internship to gain hands-on experience in museum operations, collections management, and archiving. After taking an art history course that focused on the illegal antiquities trade and the looting of cultural heritage, I developed a stronger interest in preserving and documenting cultural objects and artworks. Because art contains the traditions, identities, and narratives of the communities it comes from, I hope to learn how collections professionals help protect and responsibly document these works for the future.

My favorite activity has been learning how to accession objects. I enjoy the organization and attention to detail the process requires, and it has been exciting to work closely with a large and exceptional collection of sculptures, paintings, and prints. Being surrounded by these works has been inspiring, and it has encouraged me to think differently about my own style and creative process.

One of my long-term goals is to work in art conservation and collections management, and this internship has been an important stepping stone toward that career path. It has given me a closer look into museum and gallery operations, while developing technical skills in collections management and digital archiving. My experience at Mexic-Arte is helping to better my understanding of the work that goes into preserving cultural heritage and ensuring that Latinx art remains accessible for future generations.

One of the things I am most looking forward to is continuing to explore different sides of the art world, both as an artist creating work and as someone helping preserve the work of others. I’m currently preparing my portfolio for transfer to a four-year university, and this internship has given me a better sense of direction in how I hope to combine those interests in my future career.”