In DC there is never a shortage of things to do. On July 2, 2016 a friend and I spent the day on the National Mall. First we visited the National Museum of the American Indian to attend a screening of the film Kumu Hina. The film depicts a period in the life of Hina, an indigenous Hawaiian “māhū” or transgender woman. In the film, viewers do not encounter characteristic pristine beaches often associated with western tourism.

In this first in a series of blog posts, Maria Bastos-Stanek (Art History and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, '17), this year's National Arts Policy Archive and Library (NAPAAL) Intern at the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), reports on her summer adventures interning and exploring Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to AES Alum Austin Boyer, who is the new Marketing and Communications Manager at From the Top! From the Top is America’s largest national platform dedicated to celebrating the stories, talents, and character of classically-trained young musicians. Austin received his Masters in Trumpet Performance and Campus Certificate in Arts Management from UMass-Amherst this spring. 

Congratulations to AES Alum Ronni Reich! Ronni was recently hired as New York State Council on the Arts’ (NYSCA) Director of Public Information, overseeing NYSCA’s communications and public relations, as well as marketing materials and social media. Ronni has completed four courses with AES, and is pursuing her Professional Certificate in Arts Management.