Philadelphia Museum of Art - Information : Opportunities : Internships

Descriptions of Past Intern Placements

Intern assignments, projects, and the departments in which they are placed vary significantly from year to year. The following descriptions of past placements are offered to help applicants understand the kinds of experiences they might expect, but do not necessarily represent actual opportunities for Summer 2013.

The Museum’s Internship Coordinator will outline a specific placement when contacting each finalist with a firm offer for acceptance into the program. The candidate will then have the opportunity to ask questions before accepting or rejecting the position.

Collections Information

The intern may edit and input Website content or assist with other technology-related projects.

Communications

Interns may work in marketing, which writes copy and develops outlets for paid advertising in various media, or in public relations, where the staff promotes Museum programs to the press and other local media.

Conservation

Interns will observe a wide variety of conservation techniques in painting, objects, furniture, paper or textile conservation. Depending on an applicant’s specialization, he or she may be placed in a singular department, or shared between two. Interns with a science background may participate in chemical analysis of materials, etc.

Curatorial Departments

Depending on the specific curatorial department, an intern may assist with library and archival research, participate in departmental meetings or help with general office work. An intern may be assigned to work on a single project, or a series of smaller projects. The Museum’s curatorial departments are:

American Art
Arms and Armor
Costumes and Textiles
East Asian Art
European Painting before 1900
European Decorative Arts and Sculpture
Indian and Himalayan Art
Modern and Contemporary Art
Prints, Drawings, and Photographs

Development

The Development Department is responsible for fundraising at the Museum. Interns are included in general department staff meetings and will be expected to work as part of the Development team for events involving any of their targeted groups. Interns may do research on granting agencies, foundations, and individuals. In addition, they may assist with various donor programs, such as Corporate Partners, Associate Level Members, and Young Friends.

Editorial

The Editorial intern assists with copyediting and proofreading exhibition-related texts and labels as well as printed materials such as newsletters, brochures, and signs. The intern should be comfortable working in Microsoft Word, possess strong writing skills, and be attentive to detail.

Education: Community Outreach

Two interns will design and implement a program that reaches out to children and families in all neighborhoods in Philadelphia through the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Summer Reading Program under the direction of the Community Programs staff.

Education: Family Programs

The intern will assist in planning and implementing Sunday gallery programs and studio activities for families.

Education: Public Programs (College & Adult)

The intern will assist with a variety of projects including research for updating object files, planning and marketing for the annual College Day on the Parkway, attending cross departmental meetings on events, lectures, concert planning, etc.

Education: Summer Camp Group Program

Six interns will work together to plan the theme based program for visiting Summer Camp Groups. This program is designed for six to twelve year old children. It will include teaching the camp children about art in the Museum galleries and leading them through the making of a corresponding craft project in the Museum studios.

Government Affairs

Working directly with the Director of Government Affairs, the intern will provide departmental support and may interact with government officials.

Graphic Design

The intern will work collaboratively with four designers on the design, production, and other tasks relating to Museum exhibitions, signage, and collateral materials. Facility in Adobe programs required.

Library

Interns participate in many library functions such as cataloguing and assisting Museum staff.

Membership

Interns work on Membership campaigns to grow this important audience.

Office of General Counsel

An internship in the Office of General Counsel might include: analyzing proposed legislation or regulations affecting the Museum, assisting with legal issues related to proposed acquisitions, reviewing past gift agreements to determine rights and responsibilities with respect to certain gifts, researching court decisions regarding interpretation of charitable bequests and gifts, preparing initial drafts of contracts between the Museum and third parties (e.g., exhibition agreements, sponsor agreements, art purchase agreements, supplier agreements, etc.), reviewing existing contracts and preparing summaries of the Museum’s contractual rights and responsibilities, analyzing tax regulations affecting charitable organizations and assisting the General Counsel in connection with matters of corporate governance.

Registrar

The intern will assist the Registrar and staff in knowing the whereabouts and condition of every art object in the Museum’s collection whether at the Philadelphia Museum of Art or on loan to another institution.

Rights and Reproductions

The Rights and Reproduction intern will participate in scanning and archiving images of objects and past exhibitions. He or she will work with related photographic files and materials.

Wholesale and Retail Operations

Interns will learn about buying and merchandizing for the Museum’s five retail outlets and wholesale operations. Interns may also be involved in creating marketing strategies for selling the store’s products.

For more information, please contact the Museum Studies Internship Program by phone at (215) 684-7592, by fax at (215) 236-4063, or by e-mail at .