Artist Emily Noelle Lambert talks with NYPOP students in her Brooklyn studio

OVERVIEW

The New York Professional Outreach Program (NYPOP) is about making connections that lead to a career in the visual arts.  The program brings university students to the work places of contemporary professionals in New York City.  The experience encourages students to believe in the possibility of a career for themselves. On-site sessions examine contemporary aesthetics in concert with an insider’s perspective on the current professional scene.  We seek answers to the many practical questions that stem from a student’s desire to become an artist, curator, art writer, and museum or gallery worker.

NYPOP was initiated at UMassAmherst in 1990 with the realization that a newcomer’s chances of succeeding in the professional scene will be greatly enhanced if they have access to working relationships and professional networks in New York City.  Art graduates who attended one of several elite universities and colleges can enter alumni networks representing their institution.  Jobs, housing, and other opportunities often come to them through those relationships.

NYPOP was initiated to bring the same career opportunities to UMass art graduates.  The program has been successful, and is a highly valued recruitment attraction for the Art Department. 

• 75% of current undergraduates have been enrolled in NYPOP
• 37% of current undergraduates have taken the program multiple times  
• 69% of current graduate students cite the program as the decisive factor in their decision to attend UMass
• 88% of current graduate students have taken the program multiple times  
• Over 1,000 UMass students have travelled nearly 100,000 miles to study the professional world first-hand
• They have attended seminars with over 350 artists, curators, writers, and gallerists. 
• Today, over 100 UMass art alumni are living and working in New York.  
• When we began NYPOP, there were 5 alumni active in the city’s art scene.

In September 2011, NYPOP initiated a series of collaborative partnerships with university and college art departments located across the nation and abroad to share the career building opportunities we have established in New York. The career potential afforded UMass students has been significantly enriched by their participation in NYPOP.  The same growth potential can reach students at Universities across the nation and abroad through participation in our Partners and Exhibition Programs.