The New Brunswick Arts Board is an arm’s length arts funding agency with a legislated mandate to facilitate and promote the creation of art as well as administering funding programs for professional artists in the province.
Alec Wyllie, artsnb summer intern 2015
My name is Alec Wyllie. After being at artsnb for over a month, it’s time to introduce myself. I was hired in May 2015 for the summer position of Administrative Arts Intern. My main responsibility this summer has been to digitize several decades’ worth of artsnb files into an archive on our share drive. With 25 years of artsnb history to scan and reorganize, it has been a lengthy task, although I’ve made significant progress in the last month. (The digital archive currently has over 1000 files.) This digitization process has been very beneficial for us, as we have discovered a lot of pertinent information from the arts board’s past, which helps to provide context and background for artsnb’s current and future endeavours.
I have also been involved with social media over the last month, writing and scheduling posts on various social networks, as well as writing a blog post on our Creative Residency Program.
I grew up here in Fredericton, NB, and I will be entering my second year of studies at the University of New Brunswick this September. I am in the Bachelor of Business Administration Program. My main areas of interest are marketing, economics and finance. As of now, I believe I will be pursuing a career in the advertising industry once I am done at UNB, but I recognize that I have a few more years ahead of me – so my goals could change. This next year will be quite finance-heavy, so I might go down that route if it interests me.
I am also a big fan of the arts. I am an amateur musician and singer – I play electric and acoustic guitar, as well as piano, and I have dabbled in electronic music. I also have some experience in musical theatre, having performed in the Leo Hayes High School production of Edges in 2014. I’ve participated in local events such as the Fredericton 48 Hour Film Festival and various benefit concerts at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre.
During the school year, I volunteer with Junior Achievement of New Brunswick as a company program advisor, where I assist high school students in running their own small businesses. This program provides students with the support to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions. artsnb fulfills a similar role in the New Brunswick arts community by supporting the ambitions and projects of local artists. I am proud to be part of these organizations which promote creativity in New Brunswick.
I am very glad that I ended up working here for the summer. The people here are fantastic, the work is interesting and career-relevant, and the job gives me a look at the talented arts community in the province, as well as the political and business side of the cultural sector.
