OPPORTUNITIES

During this internship, the intern’s primary duty will be to assist Archives Center reference staff in varied aspects of reference service, including: answering public inquiries by telephone, e-mail, and in person, performing background research as needed; taking charge of the reference room during brief absences of the regular staff, assisting researchers as needed, and assisting staff in paging and re-shelving collection materials.

The associate curator and collection management team for contemporary art seek an emerging colleague in the field that will bring fresh perspective and dedicated attention to collection research, administration and care. The candidate will be a self-starter and work collaboratively with curatorial and collection staff on permanent collection displays, acquisition preparations, object management (both paper and digital), and special projects. This position offers opportunities to research and write collection-related texts, observe aspects of collection stewardship, and play a hands-on role in other department activities.

The department of Prints and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago is excited to invite current undergraduate students, graduate students, and/or recent graduates to apply for their McMullan Arts Leadership internship position. In this position, the intern will receive training on identifying print and drawing techniques, the care and handling of works on paper, collection database software, object-based research, and museum policy issues such as ethics and security. The intern will have the opportunity to work with curators on individual research projects and in the context of the regular operation of the department study room, the Jean and Steven Goldman Study Center.

The Division of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History is seeking a part-time, term Biological Anthropology Intern for Fall 2024. The Internship Program is for undergraduate and graduate students interested in careers in anthropology, museums or related fields. Anthropology interns work on projects relating to the collections or the ongoing research interests of the curatorial staff in the Museum or in the field.

This work-based placement will include participation in all aspects of the day-to-day activities of the project to conserve the scheme of oil paint on canvas paintings in the Hogarth Stair, and the multi-media array of ceiling and wall decoration within the Great Hall.

The Getty Post-Baccalaureate Conservation Internships aim to diversify the conservation field by increasing the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds enrolled in graduate degree programs related to museum conservation.

Created and led by the National Gallery of Canada, in collaboration with the Art Conservation program at Queen’s University and the Canadian Conservation Institute, the NGC Conservation Internship Program for Diversity aims to increase the representation of professionals from diverse communities. Dedicated to Indigenous and Black students, and students from other cultural communities from across Canada, the program is designed to provide the best possible start for students pursuing a career in conservation, enabling them to develop a network with professionals in the field who have experience they can draw upon throughout their studies and career. This initiative allows four students to benefit from the program before they go on to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, to formally study art conservation as part of the Master’s program. This is the only training in Conservation in Canada at this level. Each intern will be provided with a $25,000 bursary. Interns have the opportunity to become familiar with some of the complexities of conservation and restoration work, including research, technical examination, and the historic and ethical dimensions of interaction with art and artefacts. Over the course of three to five months, they are paired with various experts from the Gallery’s Restoration and Conservation Laboratory, and follow them in their daily work as observers. They are also introduced to Conservation Science and broader Heritage preservation issues at the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa.

Focused on students from communities currently underrepresented in the museum conservation field, the Conservation Internship for Broadening Access (CIBA) offers opportunities for current or recent undergraduates to learn about museum conservation. During a 10-week summer program, CIBA interns are placed with mentors in a variety of conservation labs throughout the Smithsonian. The program supports interns by offering a stipend and paid housing during the internship. A relocation travel allowance may also be included as part of the internship award. This opportunity is closed for 2024, but is likely to reopen with a March 2025 deadline.

The Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP) Undergraduate Internship is a museum career pathway program designed to increase hands-on training opportunities for Latina, Latino, and Latinx-identifying undergraduate students interested in art museum careers. The program focuses in non-curatorial museum roles including the areas of conservation, museum education, interpretation, digital culture, collections management, and exhibition design, fabrication and production. This opportunity is likely to open again in August 2024.

These 8-week paid summer internships provide opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research, to explore career possibilities in archives and special collections, and to learn about advanced training in Native American and Indigenous Studies and related fields. This opportunity is closed for 2024, but will reopen annually.

Getty Graduate Internships are offered in the four programs of the J. Paul Getty Trust—the Getty Museum, the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Foundation—and in Getty Publications and Getty Digital, to graduate students who intend to pursue careers in the visual arts.

The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) offers paid postgraduate internships and curriculum internships that provide learning opportunities for the conservation community in Canada and abroad.

Explore a list of all the current internship opportunities at the Smithsonian.

The Museum offers internship opportunities for college and graduate students interested in careers in art museums, as well as New York City–area high school students.