From the Field

On April 22, the Birmingham Museum of Art hosted its first Miles College Night, organized by AAMD/UNCF Fellow and Miles College student Keith Caudle. The event included music, food, spoken word performances, scavenger hunts, and museum tours. Dr. Michael Lomax, President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund; Justice Ralph D. Cook, BMA’s Chairman of the Board; Dr. George T. French, President of Miles College; and John Hudson, Vice President of Public Relations at Alabama Power, also attended and made remarks.

At Miles College Night at the Birmingham Museum of Art, from left to right: Keith Caudle, student at Miles College and AAMD/UNCF Fellow at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Gail Andrews, The R. Hugh Daniel Director, Birmingham Museum of Art; Michael Lomax, President and CEO, UNCF; Judge Ralph D. Cook, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Birmingham Museum of Art; and Dr. George T. French, Jr., President, Miles College.

Keith worked closely with Curator of Arts of Africa and the Americas Emily Hanna, Ph.D., to plan the night’s schedule, speakers, logistics, and much more. “To plan this event I had to fundraise, promote, plan, and organize exactly how the night was going to go,” Keith said. “My supervisor, Dr. Emily Hanna, gently guided me through the project so that I would know how to solve problems whenever they arise. I loved planning this event for my school, because most students had never visited the Birmingham Museum of Art before…This internship was the best experience I have had during my undergrad experience.“

Keith Caudle’s internship at the Birmingham Museum of Art was part of the pilot phase of AAMD and UNCF’s diversity internship initiative. The program places college juniors from private and public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in major American art museums for semester-long paid internships, as well as support these students with career and job readiness coaching and professional development training. Support for this pilot has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Henry Luce Foundation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the members of AAMD. More information on the program is available here. 

Top image: Students enjoying Miles College Night at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

AAMD and UNCF are grateful to have received support for the internship program from: