Description

Overview:

The Graduate Curatorial Internship of the National Museum of Wildlife Art offers hands-on training to graduate students interested in pursuing a career in museum work. This is an intensive, focused internship, one in which the intern will gain meaningful experience in preparation for a future career in art museums or another art-related field.

During their time at the Museum, the intern will be an active member of the curatorial department. They will work alongside the curator, registrar, and preparator to become familiar with all of the routine tasks involved in collection care, such as inventories, object cataloguing, gallery maintenance, condition reports, and the upkeep of archival records. The intern will also attend team and inter-departmental meetings, Museum events, and special programs throughout the summer. Based on their existing expertise and interests, they will also develop special projects in consultation with the curators to aid or augment upcoming exhibitions. In the past such projects have included researching and writing content for audio tours, creating interactive soundscapes, and drafting exhibition labels.

This year, one of the intern’s major projects will be assisting the curatorial team with an ongoing digitization project, which is supported by the Bloomberg Digital Accelerator Program. They will aid the Curatorial team in archiving new images and uploading them to The Museum System (TMS), gaining experience with one of the database systems most commonly used by art museums globally.

Reports to:

Curator of Art

Eligibility:

Candidates of all nationalities are welcome to apply. Individuals from communities underrepresented in art history and museum work are encouraged to apply. Candidates must be currently enrolled in or recent graduates of an M.A. or Ph.D. program with subject matter expertise in a field relevant to the Museum’s permanent collection.

Stipend:

$7,680 stipend for a 12-week internship, with an additional $1,500 housing stipend per month available to candidates currently residing elsewhere. This housing stipend is intended to help offset the unusually high rental costs in our area.
[Please note that taxes will be deducted from both the internship stipend and housing allowance.]

Requirements

Criteria:
i) The intern will be on site at the National Museum of Wildlife Art for 12 continuous weeks between June and August.
ii) The precise dates of the internship will be scheduled in consultation between the Museum and the intern.
iii) The internship is not to last less than 10 weeks or more than 12 weeks.
iv) The intern will log their hours and report them to the Curator.
v) The candidate may arrange to receive academic credit for the internship through their current institution, if they wish. The Museum will provide the necessary documentation as required by the institution, after the candidate accepts the position.
vi) It is the responsibility of the candidate to provide their own transportation and secure their own housing for the duration of the internship.

Application Process:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on March 13, 2026, after which time select candidates will be contacted for an interview.

To Apply:

Application materials should be e-mailed to the contact information below. No phone calls please.
Kennis Forte, Ph.D.
Curator of Art kforte@wildlifeart.org

Please submit the following documents. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

o Cover letter of five hundred words or less describing the applicant’s career goals, interest in museum work, specific areas of interest within the Museum, reason for applying to the Internship Program, and how applicant’s background and experience will benefit the Museum through this internship.
o Current resume of education and/or employment, including a list of art history, museum studies, and other relevant courses taken, as well as any foreign languages spoken or written.
o College or university transcripts (unofficial copies accepted).
o Two letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or supervisors.