2022 Hybrid Summer Internships, National Gallery of Art, Landover, MD

Posted February 7, 2022

Description:

Since 1964 the National Gallery of Art has offered professional museum training to candidates from all backgrounds through a variety of internship programs. Nine-week hybrid summer internships provide opportunities to work on projects directed by a National Gallery curator or department head. Biweekly museum seminars introduce interns to the broad spectrum of museum work and to National Gallery staff, departments, programs, and functions.

Interns also learn about the National Gallery’s collection and build upon their research and public-speaking skills by developing and presenting live art talks. They participate in an intensive training program to learn how to talk about works of art in a way that is relevant, engaging, and accessible to diverse audiences. Interns then develop interactive tours, from 10 to 12 minutes in length, that incorporate their own interests and backgrounds.

The internship program features:

Gallery talks with curators
Discussions with top-level administrators, including the National Gallery’s director
Conversations with staff from a wide variety of museum departments and with former interns
Behind-the-scenes tours and demonstrations
Presentations on the museum’s history and collection
An omni-directional mentorship program that builds community, exchanges support and guidance, and develops a network of museum professionals

How to Apply:

All applications must be submitted online, in English, through our portal by February 28, 2022. Applications or related materials submitted via email, postal mail, or in person are not accepted. There is no fee to apply to any of the internships.

The online application requires:

A letter (single-spaced, about 750 words) to the selection committee stating your reasons for participating in the museum training program at the National Gallery of Art at this point in your education or career. It should include what you hope to achieve from the experience, what you feel you can contribute to the department(s) in which you are interested, and how such an experience would further your education and career plans.
A writing sample (no more than 20 pages, including footnotes or endnotes, bibliography, and images). An academic paper works best for a research position. Business students may decide to submit a case or memo. Computer science and engineering students may submit an online code repository or blog post. Applicants to the web internship are asked to submit a portfolio of projects.
A résumé or full curriculum vitae of education, professional experience, honors, awards, and publications.
One copy of unofficial transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended.
Contact information for two references. One of these references must be someone who knows you in an academic context (either a professor or instructor). After you have submitted the name, title, and email address of your references, they will automatically be emailed instructions for uploading their letters online. We strongly encourage references to submit letters in English.

The deadline for all application materials, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, is February 28 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).

Eligibility varies according to the internship. A few internships are geared to undergraduates, but most are for undergraduates completing their degrees in May or June 2022, currently enrolled graduate students of all levels, and those graduating in May or June 2022 with a relevant degree, such as MA, MS, MBA, MFA, MArch, MEd, JD, or MLS. Please check prerequisites carefully. Candidates who are people of color, LGBTQ+, bilingual or multilingual, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

For the full description and where to apply, please visit: https://www.nga.gov/opportunities/summer-internships.html