Internships didnt we fight a war to stop them
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A couple of year ago, while in art school, I walked around Chelsea handing out my resume. I was looking for any position I could get in any gallery doing anything. At the last gallery I visited the owner/director actually sat down and talked to me. He gave me some water and we discussed the art world/business. It was a nice experience and I knew the day was not going to get better so that is where I ended my gallery jaunt.
During the conversation I told the director that I would be willing to intern. He looked back at me and said, “Well I believe we fought a war to end that didn’t we. If you were to work here I’d pay you.” (I should say that nothing in terms of employment ever happened at that gallery, but from time to time I like to check in and see what’s happening there.) It’s something that’ll I’ll never forget however, it was the moment I realized how internships were a form of legalized slavery or indentured servitude. You get paid a pittance, if you’re lucky, for food and travel and in some ways if you are getting credit for school you end up paying to intern. Insane, no?
Now with the current economic shit show more and more companies are no only hiring non-paying interns. It seems like they are the only positions available. So I now make the same statement/question, “Didn’t we fight a war…?”
