Internship Opportunities

Internship Sites in the Washington, D.C. Area 

• Anacostia Community Museum – Smithsonian Institution

  • National museum documenting African-American experience. Does not focus exclusively on visual arts, but often develops art exhibitions. Internships available within the Office of Advancement, Collections, Education, Research, Design, Public Relations, and Special Events.
  • http://anacostia.si.edu/About/InternFellows

• Archives of American Art – Smithsonian Institution

  • Offers both undergraduate and graduate internships. Archives collects personal papers of artists, art dealers, critics, and others concerned with American art. Interns primarily conduct research in primary source materials and prepare written descriptions for publication in archival guides and finding aids.
  • http://www.aaa.si.edu/aboutus/opportunities

• Architectural History and Historic Preservation – Smithsonian Institution

  • Offers internships for study of history and preservation of the Smithsonian buildings from historic 19th century “castle” to modern and postmodern structures. Interns research buildings in the Smithsonian Archives and other sources. Projects culminate in a twenty page research paper. Preference given to applicants with a strong background in architectural history (4+ courses). *currently not accepting applications for internships or fellowships
  • http://www.si.edu/ahhp

• Arlington Arts Center

  • Private, nonprofit visual arts center supporting work by artists in the mid-Atlantic region. Maintains four galleries and a sculptural park, offering exhibitions and educational programs. Internships available within Development, Marketing, Curatorial and Exhibitions, Education, Public Programs, Special Events/Media Documentation, and Graphic Design.
  • https://www.arlingtonartscenter.org/about/workwithus

• Art-in Architecture, Design Excellence, Fine Arts, and Historical Preservation programs – General Services Administration

  • Student volunteer opportunities can be treated as an internship. The program commissions and oversees art in Federal buildings, GSA’s public art collections, and historical buildings nationwide. Activities include updating the National Artist Slide Registry, researching art-in-architecture projects, and office work. More appropriate for arts management than art history students.

• Art Museum of the Americas

  • AMA collects and exhibits works by established and emerging artists. Museum contains a permanent collection of Latin American and Carribbean art.
  • http://museum.oas.org/programs_education.html

• Center for Museum Studies – Smithsonian Institution

  • Offers the following internship opportunities: Seminar Programs Intern, Digital Graphics Intern, Digital Interactives Intern, Evaluation and Research Intern.
  • http://museumstudies.si.edu/Intern/scemsintern.htm

• Freer Sackler Galleries – Smithsonian Institution

  • Specializes in Asian art but also has a collection of late nineteenth century American painting. Offers a wide range of internships including Curatorial, Registar, Archives, Public Affairs, Marketing, Photography and Library.
  • http://www.asia.si.edu/research/internships.asp

• Hemphill Fine Arts Gallery

  • Commercial gallery specializing in contemporary art and American art of the 20th century. Internships provide experience in all areas of gallery operation: inventory, correspondence, sales, research.
  • http://www.hemphillfinearts.com

• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden – Smithsonian Institution

  • Major collection of 20th century art donated to the public by Joseph Hirshhorn which also hosts contemporary art exhibitions. Offers numerous internships within the departments of Arts and Programs, Exhibition and Design Department, Collection Management and External Affairs.
  • http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/workinternvolunteer/#detail=/bio/internships/&collection=workinternvolunteer

• Kreeger Museum

  • The Kreeger Museum is a small, private museum exhibiting 19th and 20th century European and American art from the collection of David Lloyd and Carmen Kreeger, who were leading collectors and patrons of the arts in Washington in the 1960s-80s. The building that houses the collection was originally designed by noted American architect Philip Johnson. Currently they are seeking volunteer Tour Docents, Information Docents, and First Studio Docents.
  • https://www.kreegermuseum.org/about-us/volunteer-and-internships

• Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program (Summer)

  • This is a paid fellowship with a stipend of $300/week. Fellows work with primary source materials to assist library staff with organizing and documenting archival materials.
  • http://www.loc.gov/hr/jrfellows/

• Mary McLeod Bethune Archives

  • Small collection of art by African-American artists that periodically hosts special exhibitions. This location offers year-round, first come, first-serve internships.
  • http://www.nps.gov/mamc/historyculture/mamc_nabwh.htm

• Meridian International Center

  • Non-profit organization promotes international understanding through varied programs that include strong exhibition component. Programs help foreign visitors understand US culture. Internship opportunities offered for fall, spring, and summer.
  • http://www.meridian.org/careers

• National Building Museum

  • Collections emphasize the built environment in relation to architecture, engineering design, urban planning, and historic preservation. Internships are offered seasonally and include Development, Public Relations/Marketing, and Museum Shop Visitor Interpretation roles.
  • http://www.nbm.org/about-us/employment_internships/

• National Campaign for Freedom of Expression

  • Educational and activist network concerned to protect and extend freedom of expression and fight censorship. Intern will work on projects related to NEA authorization, legislation, local arts advocacy, etc. Excellent writing skills are required for this position.
  • http://ncac.org/job-and-internship-opportunities

• National Gallery of Art

  • NGA offers Graduate Internships in the Museum Profession, Graduate Curatorial Internships, Graduate Unpaid Internships and Research Assistantships, Curatorial Fellowships, and Graduate Summer Internships. Also available are Conservation Fellowships and CASVA Fellowships.
  • http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/interns-fellows.html

• National Holocaust Memorial Museum

  • Interns work with collections department on various research projects and maintenance of catalog holdings. Job areas include project management, writing and/or editing, research, artistic areas.
  • http://www.ushmm.org/information/career-volunteer-opportunities/internships

• National Museum of African Art – Smithsonian Institution

  • NMAA offers several traditional internships which offer museum practice and program development experience. Internships are available in the curatorial, education, and exhibition departments, many of which are related to digitization and media.
  • http://nmaahc.si.edu/getinvolved/internships

• Smithsonian American Art Museum

  • Two internship programs are offered that coincide with the academic calendar- an Advanced-Level Program that takes place during fall and spring semesters and an eight week Summer Program that begins early-mid June.
  • http://americanart.si.edu/research/opportunity/interns/

• National Museum of Women in the Arts

  • NMWA offers paid and unpaid internships for undergraduate, graduate and recent graduate students. Internships are available seasonally in the fall, spring and summer in a variety of departments.
  • http://nmwa.org/about/internships

• National Portrait Gallery – Smithsonian institution

  • The National Portrait Gallery provides many internships opportunities for students throughout the year. Intern projects are available in a wide variety of departments on an as-needed basis.
  • http://www.npg.si.edu/education/internships.html

• National Trust for Historic Preservation

  • Non-profit organization dedicated to preserving architectural heritage of U.S. Operates eighteen historic house museums, outreach programs through seven regional offices, consulting services, and publication projects. Interns generally research specific preservation issues and attend weekly education sessions, participate in field trips, etc.
  • http://www.preservationnation.org/career-center/

• Organization of American States

  • Art Gallery of OAS has monthly exhibitions of works by Latin American artists. Students must have a 3.0 GPA.
  • http://www.oas.org/en/saf/dhr/internships/indexEN.asp

• The Phillips Collection

  • Located near Dupont Circle, the Phillips Collection houses primarily 19th century and 19th century European and American art. Internships available in curatorial, development and education departments. The Phillips also frequently hires art history students as museum guards. Currently, the museum staff has a strong AU alum presence.
  • http://www.phillipscollection.org/about/employment-and-internships

• Washington Project for the Arts

  • WPA is a non-profit organization that promotes contemporary art. Seeking interns with management, promotion and planning for their 60+ events and exhibitions a year.
  • https://www.wpadc.org/about/volunteer

• Zenith Gallery

  • Commercial art gallery with usual internship experiences in preparing, organizing, and hanging shows, computer work and writing press releases.
  • http://www.zenithgallery.com

Internship Sites Outside of Washington, D.C. Area 

• Asheville, NC: Biltmore house

  • Twelve-month paid internships (July through June) focus on collections of historic Biltmore House museum; emphasis on decorative arts and art history. Interns work in registration or collections management.
  • http://www.biltmore.com/careers/internships

• Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art

  • BMA offers internships for both undergraduate and gradate students as well as recent graduates. Internships are available in a variety of departments.
  • http://www.artbma.org/about/internships.html

• Baltimore: the Walters Art Museum

  • The Walters features a prolific collection of art from antiquity to the 19th century. Offers internships seasonally for both undergraduate and graduate students. Internships are available in a variety of departments.
  • http://thewalters.org/about/jobs/intern/

• Chicago: the Art Institute of Chicago

  • Summer internships available for both undergraduate and graduate students.
  • http://www.artic.edu/employment/internships

• New York: Copper-Hewitt Museum – Smithsonian Institution

  • Summer internships (10 weeks) on competitive basis. Specializes in fields of American design and decorative arts.
  • http://www.cooperhewitt.org/careers/

• New York: The Frick Collection

  • Summer internships available for both undergraduate and graduate students.
  • http://www.frick.org/careers/internships

• Guarisco Gallery

  • Specializes in 19th and early 20th century European, American, and British paintings. Internships are based in New York and are offered seasonally. Responsibilities include database entry, research, administration, and participation in team tasks.
  • http://www.artnet.com/galleries/guarisco-gallery/

• New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art

  • Highly competitive intern programs in various departments of museum. Twenty-eight special summer internships for graduate students.
  • http://www.metmuseum.org/research/internships-and-fellowships/internships/internships-for-college-and-graduate-students

• New York: Museum of Modern Art

  • Summer internships available. Require a minimum commitment of three days per week, one of which must be Tuesday. Requires a minimum of two years of college completed.
  • http://www.moma.org/learn/courses/internships#course6

• Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art

  • Interns can work with Departments of Education, Administrative and Curatorial programs.
  • http://www.philamuseum.org/jobs/?arID=50

• Utica, NY: Munson-Williams-Proctor Museum

  • Summer internships available for both undergraduate and graduate students.
  • http://www.mwpai.org/support/volunteer/internships/