Description
Please apply using this link: https://risdmuseum.submittable.com/submit/341813/risd-museum-mellon-summer-internship-program-2026
The RISD Museum’s Mellon summer internship program introduces students to museum work and offers in-depth experience working in a specific department of the RISD Museum. Interns contribute to departmental projects with Museum staff as supervisors. As a cohort, interns discuss museum practice, build professional skills for working in the arts, and learn about how museums live up to their missions. This is designed as an introductory experience for students without prior experience or access to similar opportunities.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Applicants should have a strong interest in museum work and the topics related to the specific internship projects, but no previous museum experience or academic background in art history is necessary. This program is open to currently enrolled college and university undergraduate and graduate students; students graduating in the 2025-26 academic year are also eligible. Students who are not U.S. citizens are welcome to apply for the internship if they have a visa that is valid for the entire internship program (through mid-August 2026).
The ten-week internships begin on June 1 and end on August 7. Interns are expected to work for 20 hours a week. Participation in group seminars and workshops focusing on museum studies and professional practice is included in these weekly hours. Interns will develop an independent project related to their interests alongside these seminar sessions and at the end of the program, each intern will publicly reflect on their experience and share their work. Browse former interns’ perspectives on the collection here. Interns will receive a $4,000 honorarium. A limited amount of funding is available for travel assistance and may be awarded to accepted students who would not otherwise be able to take advantage of this opportunity.
The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, January 30, 2025, at 11:59 pm. Selected candidates will be interviewed in March and all applicants will be notified by the end of that month. Questions should be addressed to museum-academic@risd.edu.
Participants may arrange for academic credit for the internship through their college or university. To do so, they will need to fulfill the number of hours required for credit at their home institutions and any additional requirements, such as paper assignments, to qualify for that credit. Museum staff will provide supervision for such assignments as well as letters of support verifying the student’s participation in the internship program.
The Mellon Summer Internship Program at the RISD Museum is made possible by an endowment from the Mellon Foundation.
Conservation and Collections Care Internship: Costume & Textiles
Description: The Costume and Textiles collection encompasses over 30,000 garments and textiles from 1500 BCE to the present. Working alongside conservation staff, the intern will receive training and assist with: examining and assessing objects; updating reports that document object condition; rehousing items in storage; and performing basic conservation treatments. The ideal candidate is curious, patient, and detail oriented, with an interest in textiles, fashion history, or material culture. Experience with hand-stitching or similar technical skills is helpful but not required.
