Name: Lakshmi Natesan
Class Year: 2025
Major: Psychology
Minor: Environmental Studies
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Internship Organization: Mural Arts Philadelphia
Job Title: Communications and Marketing Intern
Location: Philadelphia, PA
What's happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!
Mural Arts Philadelphia (MAP) is the largest public art program in the country and has heavily contributed to Philadelphia being the mural capital of the world! I work in the communications department, which creates speeches, press releases, all MAP social media, mural dedications, and other events! In my role, I write copy for our social media, write press releases, create graphics, and proofread!
Why did you apply for this internship?
I have always been passionate about public art and wanted to get involved with public art in Philadelphia. After some research, I found Mural Arts and was drawn in by their motto: art ignites change.
What has been your favorite part of this internship?
My favorite part of this internship has been interacting with our community and having the opportunity to use my creativity in my everyday work. Mural Arts has a hand in many things across Philadelphia, and now the world! It has been so meaningful to see the work done in the office translate into community events. Meeting people and hearing their stories, and seeing those stories reflected in art across the city has been a privilege. Working with our social media manager Darnell Schoolfield has allowed me to take risks with my writing and learn from my mistakes while creating social media content. The communications team pushes me to be a bold writer and tap into my voice when writing for Mural Arts. Becoming a strong copywriter is a long journey, and I am thrilled that I was able to start that journey with MAP. Each assignment teaches me how impactful wording is and the importance of creating an approachable social media presence using that wording. When working at a nonprofit, nothing is more important than building trust within our community, and one of the ways Mural Arts does that is through our events and social media.
Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?
Three adjectives that describe my internship are fast-paced, detail-dependent, and community oriented. Murals are just one part of all the work Mural Arts Philadelphia does; MAP is focused on building community and starting important dialogue while supporting artists in making the city their canvas.
Three nouns that describe my internship experience are people, stories, and, of course, murals. Mural Arts is, at its heart, a storytelling organization helping artists share their stories and helping people change their stories, and start new ones. MAP does this through their programming: Public Art and Civic Engagement, Art Education, Restorative Justice, Porch Light, Environmental Justice, and Mural Arts Institute. Murals may be their calling card, but Mural Arts has much more to offer the city of Philadelphia!
As a bonus, three verbs that describe my internship experience (and Mural Arts' slogan!) are beautify, inspire, and empower!
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.