Using the Arts to Strengthen Community

Whether she's teaching young artists, helping bring a community theater production to life, organizing public events, or writing grants that help sustain the arts, Kyra Pruszinski ’27 is gaining a firsthand understanding of how arts organizations serve their communities.

As a summer intern with the Grinnell Area Arts Council (GAAC), Pruszinski's work spans nearly every aspect of the organization—from youth arts education and public programming to nonprofit administration and communications. The experience is helping her grow as an educator while offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep a community arts organization thriving. 

"I have worked at the Grinnell Area Arts Council (GAAC) through the CLS' Service-Leadership Work-Study program since my 2nd year of college," Pruszinski said. "GAAC's summer internship allows me to develop as a youth art educator while leveraging my familiarity with the organization to branch out from teaching and engage with the breadth of its public programming and administration."

Learning Through Many Creative Roles

Rather than focusing on a single responsibility, Pruszinski has embraced an internship that allows her to move between creative, educational, and administrative work.

She teaches youth art education programs, serves as a GAAC representative and organizer for public events, contributes as a production artist for Grinnell Community Theatre's A Year with Frog and Toad, and researches and writes grants that help secure funding for the organization. Along the way, she is developing skills in adaptive teaching, strategic planning, and professional writing. 

For Pruszinski, the variety has been one of the internship's greatest strengths.

"Outside of this internship, I've found that I work best when I can rotate between several simultaneous projects," she said. "I've pursued an internship with the Arts Council in part because I knew my responsibilities would harmonize with the style of task management that best allows me to leverage my strengths and sustain my work in art education and outreach."

Encouraging Creativity and Confidence

Some of Pruszinski's most meaningful experiences have come in the classroom, where she works with young artists exploring new materials and ideas.

She recalled one student during a clay camp who became fascinated not with the assigned project, but with simply experimenting with the clay itself. Rather than redirecting the student, Pruszinski encouraged her curiosity and helped her discover what the material could do. Another memorable moment came when she worked alongside a student to design and build a miniature bird bath using techniques the class had learned throughout the week.

Reflecting on those experiences, Pruszinski said, "I'd like to keep learning how I can support my students as they take the risk of artistic creation. It's scary to make something with your own hands – it's even scarier to think you could mess up the making. But the mess is never as bad as you're afraid it'll be. These kids are brave, and I know they can do it."

Building Community Through the Arts

Beyond the classroom, the internship has challenged Pruszinski to think more deeply about how arts organizations can make creative spaces welcoming and accessible.

She has spent the summer helping organize events like Music in the Park while thinking critically about the barriers that prevent people from participating in the arts.

"I think playful artmaking holds the greatest potential for bringing people together and igniting new forms of community," she said. 

She has also gained a new appreciation for the work that happens behind the scenes, particularly through grant writing.

"Since arts organizations in the United States do not generally receive public funding, grant writing and institutional advocacy are crucial industry skills for me to develop," she said. "To grossly oversimplify, a lot of the work that keeps arts organizations thriving boils down to different ways of asking for money." 

A Lasting Impact

For Monica St. Angelo, executive director of the Grinnell Area Arts Council, Pruszinski's willingness to contribute wherever she was needed made a lasting difference.

"It has been wonderful having Kyra intern with us this summer!" St. Angelo said. "She has contributed immensely, helping with nearly every facet of the Arts Council -- including our summer youth programs, Music in the Park, and our gallery exhibits. As an exceptional writer, Kyra helped draft several grant applications, and we wouldn't have been able to submit as many without her. A perfect illustration of her impact was the hand-painted details she added to the set of our summer musical, A Year with Frog and Toad. Those thoughtful touches made a big difference in bringing the story to life." 

St. Angelo says internships like Pruszinski's benefit both students and community organizations.

"At the Arts Council, student interns get to dabble in many different facets of the organization, from leading art classes to researching grants to running events," she said. "It gives them a chance to find out what aspect of nonprofit work they might like the most... In return, our student interns bring fresh perspectives and original ideas to the organization, in addition to their excellent writing, researching and critical thinking skills." 

As the internship comes to a close, Pruszinski says one lesson stands above the rest.

"I think the most important thing to remember is the same regardless of where you intern: you have got to talk to people," she said. "Risk over-communication, always." 

The experience has reinforced her passion for arts education while giving her a broader understanding of how creativity, collaboration, and community intersect. Whether she's helping a child discover the possibilities of clay, painting scenery for a production, or writing a grant that makes future programming possible, Pruszinski has seen that strengthening a community through the arts requires both imagination and a willingness to serve.

This internship is one of hundreds of experiential learning opportunities supported by Grinnell College this summer through more than $1.2 million in funding for internships and Mentored Advanced Projects (MAPs). Learn more about the College's investment in student learning.