Ever wonder how someone actually starts a career in the art world? Often, it involves an internship. And often, those internships pay next to nothing, making them a luxury only a few can afford. Well, get ready for a significant shift at one of the world's most prestigious institutions.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art just announced a hefty $23 million gift from Jennifer Rubio and Stewart Butterfield. And this isn't just for a fancy new wing or a priceless acquisition. This money is going straight to the people who need it most: the next generation of museum leaders.
The Future Is Funded
Rubio, a new trustee at the Met and founder of the travel brand Away, along with Butterfield, who co-founded Flickr and Slack (yes, that Slack), are fully funding all undergraduate and graduate internships at the museum. Let that sink in. Every single one.
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Start Your News DetoxMax Hollein, the Met's director, put it plainly: this pledge means "new voices and innovative ideas" will finally get a real shot at entering the art world. Because, as Rubio pointed out, getting a foot in the door shouldn't depend on your bank account, but on your talent and passion.
Since 2021, the Met has offered over 100 paid internships annually across 40 departments, thanks in part to a previous $5 million gift. But this new $23 million from the Rubio Butterfield Foundation? This ensures the program continues, well, forever. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying for future interns who now have no excuse not to apply.
Rubio and Butterfield aren't just tech titans; they've been on ARTnews's Top 200 Collectors list since 2022. They moved to NYC that year and have quickly become major players in the cultural scene, supporting artists like Simone Leigh, Mickalene Thomas, and Alicja Kwade. Now, they're ensuring the people who curate, conserve, and educate in the future look a lot more like the diverse world we actually live in. Because apparently, that's where we are now: funding the future, one paid internship at a time.
