At the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting May 6-9 in Los Angeles, UNMAM Collections Manager Andrea Perez-Martinez joined a panel of museum professionals to present “Diversity Apprenticeship Toolbox: How to Create Career Pathways.”  

Other participants were as follows: Zach Andrews, Program Director at The Broad contemporary art museum, Los Angeles; George Luna-Pena, Manager of Pre-Professional Program Learning and Engagement at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. and a UNM alumni; and Sherie Mateo, Program Manager at The Broad. 

The workshop linked to the conference’s broader theme, Museums and Trust, by focusing on The Broad’s Diversity Apprenticeship Program (DAP). As part of The Broad’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity, it created the DAP to provide opportunities for people to gain the training and experience they need to pursue rewarding careers in the art world, and to increase respect for the field of art handling as a profession. 

Perez-Martinez, a 2018-19 DAP participant, shared her perspective as both a past apprentice, placement supervisor and mentor. She credits the DAP as foundational to her career: “I wouldn’t be where I am without it,” she said.  

The DAP has become increasingly well known as creatives in various fields want to enter museum work, she said, noting that the program aligned with her own interests. “I was drawn to being creative, to being around other creatives, to get to celebrate our histories, our heritage and preserve those stories that are so important.” 

At AAM, the hands-on workshop encouraged institutions to reconsider traditional internship models and instead develop apprenticeships that emphasize skill-building, agency and integration into active museum projects. “The DAP was created to provide diversity in the field and also to provide real opportunity. You’re building a skill set,” says Perez-Martinez. 

UNMAM Adopts Collections Apprentices Model 

In her presentation, Perez-Martinez spotlighted Collections Year, UNMAM’s new initiative to organize, digitize and strengthen its permanent collection that takes place during the 2025-26 academic year. As part of the effort, UNMAM will launch a Collections Apprentice program this summer, with 10 select students hired to participate. Like the DAP, the UNMAM program builds on foundational values of equity, access and trust, and stems from a commitment to create early-career pathways for students who might not otherwise have such experiences.  

UNMAM Collections Apprentices will take on Collections Year tasks alongside UNMAM staff members, several of whom are being trained in new job skills specifically for the initiative. “This is a huge project,” said Perez-Martinez. “But in some ways, we’re all at the same level — staff and students learning alongside one another. That’s how you build equity. That’s how you build trust.” 

Apprenticeships Offer Mentorship, Training, Leadership 

Collections Apprentices will be trained in art handling to participate in collections activities based on their interests, such as cataloguing, curatorial research or hands-on work in the print vault. Perez-Martinez notes that understanding the demographics of the apprentices and tailoring the experience to them creates equity.  

“Training is so important. We’ll be training them to learn, understand and maintain best practices. With that training, we can release them to do that work,” said Perez-Martinez. “That’s trust building, that’s problem solving, that’s learning,”  

Apprentices will be empowered to take leadership roles within Collections Year and beyond, she says. “Being a Collections Apprentice is going to be one of the more privileged positions, with real job expectations and responsibilities,” says Perez-Martinez. “They’ll be contributing to the stewardship of the largest art collection in New Mexico.”  

Both Collections Year and the Collections Apprentice Program will be rich with shared learning opportunities for the UNMAM team, she says. “The goals will be created by a lot of different voices.”