Employment Opportunities

Apply on USAJOBS

Visit USAJobs for a list of current openings.

We offer museum-wide internships and fellowships, as well as fellowships to pursue independent research. For teen and adult volunteers, we offer exciting opportunities to help visitors enjoy the nation's artistic treasures. Learn more below about positions, eligibility requirements, terms, and application materials available throughout the museum

Apply on USAJobs

The vast majority of jobs for which we are currently recruiting may be found on the USAJOBS website maintained by the Office of Personnel Management.

See current openings

Fellowships

The National Gallery offers a variety of graduate-level opportunities to students who intend to pursue careers in fields related to the visual arts. The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts supports a resident community of scholars who are conducting research in the field. Learn about available fellowships opportunities.

Center members visit the National Gallery’s photograph conservation lab.

Conservation fellowships

Curatorial fellowships

A group of fellows take a tour of Ruth Asawa's hanging sculptures

Center fellowships

Internships

Since 1964, the National Gallery of Art has offered professional museum training to candidates from all backgrounds through a variety of internship programs. Our interns are placed in departments where they work closely with staff on special and ongoing projects, gaining hands-on experience in museum operations, curatorial practices, art conservation, and more. This international program is open to candidates from diverse backgrounds, aiming to cultivate a new generation of art professionals.

Summer Internships

Academic year interns pose in front of Katharina Fritsch's Hahn/Cock

Academic Year Internships

Volunteers and docents

We are not accepting applications for any volunteer or docent programs at this time.

Volunteers advance the National Gallery's mission every day. Docents lead tours, information desk staffers assist visitors, and students support the education department, among other volunteer opportunities.

  • Gallery Archives

    Volunteers in the archives assist with projects that make the Gallery’s unique archival holdings discoverable. Volunteer work may include rehousing materials, creating box lists, and assisting with digitization projects.

  • Horticulture

    The division of horticulture recruits volunteers with a passion for gardening. There are volunteer opportunities both indoors and out, depending on the volunteer's preference and the horticulture department's current projects. Volunteers are welcome to start at any time of year and are encouraged to commit for one year (eight hours a month) as a way to experience the different seasons of horticulture with the National Gallery.

  • School Docent Program

    School docents make museum visits memorable. They inspire curiosity and creativity through thematic tours that promote close looking and connections to works of art.

  • Teen Volunteer Program

    The department of teacher, school, and family programs recruits local high school student volunteers for the fall and spring terms. Student volunteers assist with clerical and administrative tasks that support the department's education programs.

  • Visitor Experience Volunteer Program

    Visitor experience volunteers welcome visitors of all ages to the National Gallery and help them discover the campus, collection, exhibitions, and programs.

Contact us

  • Internships & Fellowships

    For questions about graduate internships or curatorial fellowships: Department of Academic Programs, Division of Education [email protected]

  • Center Fellowships & Internships

    For questions about Center fellowships and internships: Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts [email protected]

  • Conservation Fellowships

    For questions about conservation fellowships: Conservation Division [email protected]

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