The Alice L. Walton Foundation gave $10 million to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on Thursday, making the museum one of the largest endowments in the nation that will develop the next generation of artistic leadership.

The funds will transform his nationally recognized internship program, which he has had for more than a decade, into a “commitment to future artistic leadership” by providing greater “breadth, depth and oversight”, according to a Press release.

Crystal Bridges wants to diversify its intern recruitment efforts and has started by partnering with Spelman College in Atlanta and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee to recruit interns from populations currently underrepresented in leadership. artistic, according to the press release. Walton’s donation will allow the museum to add an administrator focused solely on the internship program and its impact.

“Five years ago, we strengthened (our) internship program to focus on hiring and developing leaders from diverse backgrounds,” read a statement from Alice Walton. “Today, we recognize that there is still work to be done. I believe it is essential for museums to build an inclusive culture… to do this, it is imperative to educate and develop future artistic leaders .”

Spelman and Fisk are two institutions that focus their art history programs on racial and cultural identities. Working with them reflects Crystal Bridges’ promise to build a more diverse workforce and train new museum leaders, according to the statement.

The opening of the contemporary art space Momentary in 2020 has increased the potential for intern learning experiences by providing opportunities “to explore all forms of artistic expression”, such as theater directing , music festival management, art manufacturing and food production, the statement said.

Among the tasks of the internship coordinator yet to be hired will be the task of installing an evaluation system to continuously measure the impact of the program, monitor the quality of the individual experiences of the interns, prepare them for courses and opportunities employment in art. field and follow their cultural career for five years after their placement at Crystal Bridges.