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2023–2024 Academic-Year Hybrid Internships

Academic-year internships provide opportunities to work on projects directed by professional staff at the National Gallery. Weekly museum seminars introduce interns to the broad spectrum of museum work and to National Gallery staff, departments, programs, and functions. Interns learn about the National Gallery’s collection and build upon their research and public-speaking skills by developing and presenting live art talks. Interns also 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.

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.

Interns and Fellows Online Application Portal

Eligibility

Candidates who have an undergraduate degree or will have one by Spring 2023 are welcome to apply, as are those who have enrolled in a graduate program or graduated from it. Candidates working in African and African American studies, anthropology, art history, gender studies, geography, history, literature, multi-interdisciplinary studies, philosophy, and religion are encouraged to apply. Candidates who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, bilingual, or multilingual, and individuals with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply.

Terms

Interns work a hybrid schedule, 40 hours per week, from Monday, September 18, 2023, to Friday, May 10, 2024, except for the National Teacher Program intern, whose end date is Friday, August 9, 2024. A hybrid work model incorporates a mixture of in-office and remote work in an intern’s schedule. Interns should expect to work three days a week on-site but may work more. Interns receive stipends that are subject to all applicable taxes: the National Teacher Program intern receives $40,270 and other interns receive approximately $29,131. Interns are eligible for coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. Those who use an authorized method of public transportation receive an employer-provided fare subsidy to apply toward monthly transit costs.

To the extent the internship involves the interns’ presence on National Gallery premises, interns agree to comply with all National Gallery guidelines, requests, or policies, including but not limited to those related to public health.

Application Timeline and Procedures

Deadline: February 1, 2023

All applications must be submitted online, in English, through our portal by February 1, 2023. Applications or related materials submitted via email, postal mail, in person, or through any application portal other than the one on the National Gallery’s official website are not accepted.

The online application requires:

  • A personal statement (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, and how such an experience would further your education and career plans.
  • A work sample, which can be an academic paper (no more than 20 pages including footnotes or endnotes, bibliography, and images). Additional options include other writing samples (for example, blog posts, teaching resources), project portfolios, and videos. An academic paper works best for a research position.
  • A résumé or 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 1 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).

We recommend that you edit and proofread your application carefully before submitting it, and perhaps ask one of your current or former instructors to look over your personal statement. If you are unsure about how to write a personal statement or are uncertain which work sample to submit, consider contacting the career services center at your college or university for guidance.

Early March 2023
Interviews of finalists are tentatively scheduled for early March 2023. Only finalists for an academic-year internship are contacted for interviews via telephone or video chat. Finalists do not need to travel to the National Gallery of Art for an interview.

Late March 2023
Final selection of interns.

Equal Opportunity
All qualified applicants are considered for an internship without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, or any other protected status. The National Gallery of Art is committed to diversity and offers equal opportunity and treatment to all who apply.

Internship Projects

Applicants may list up to two projects, in order of preference, on the application.

New: Curatorial —European Art

The West Building of the National Gallery contains paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and decorative arts that express the artistic traditions of Western Europe. Curators of these collections are currently revising the way the National Gallery presents pre-1900 European, American and British art to the public. The intern will support this effort, reporting to one of the department heads but working more generally with the newly formed department of European Art. Research will address the values embodied by particular works and groups of works of art, and the ways in which those values have been reaffirmed, redefined, deconstructed, and/or negated in the decades since the Gallery's opening in 1941. The intern should have advanced research skills.

Apply Online

Production Studio

The National Gallery’s production studio is responsible for delivering compelling video content, and growing, engaging, and retaining an audience across a variety of channels (YouTube, social channels, the website, and in-gallery). The intern gains hands-on experience in video production in a museum environment by working with audiovisual production specialists for the National Gallery’s YouTube and social media channels. The intern also assists in developing concepts, planning, and working on video shoots, and researching competitors’ channels to inform National Gallery productions. Applicants should have strong communication skills and a collaborative spirit. Undergraduate or graduate students studying film, television, digital media, creative writing, English, art history, or museum studies are encouraged to apply; however, enthusiasm for video production and a willingness to put in the hard work to produce videos are more important than any specific course of study. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, camera/lighting systems, creative writing, marketing, and YouTube/social media video strategy is preferred but not required.

Apply Online

Library Image Collections: Rare Photographs Project

The intern assists in cataloging, inventorying, and digitizing the Francis Bedford Archive. Bedford (1816–1894) began studying the photographic medium around 1852 and soon made his reputation with several projects involving the court of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Bedford Archive primarily documents architecture and landscape in England and Wales. In 2016, the library acquired the core collection of his photographs (some 4,397 prints) as well as his studio index. To date, 3,400 photos have been digitized and have records in the library’s catalog. The intern also assists with another project—digitizing and cataloging rare 19th-century photo albums that span global architecture. Current graduate students with a background in library science or architectural/art history are eligible to apply. Knowledge of digitization methods and handling of 19th-century photographs is desirable. Candidates should also have some familiarity with museum registration, library systems, or archives procedures and methods, although they shall learn how perform this work to museum and library standards.

Apply Online

Learning and Engagement: National Teacher Programs
(11-month tenure)

The intern helps with three main components of the National Teacher Programs from September 18, 2023, to August 9, 2024. The first component is the Massive Open Online Course, which is expected to launch in November 2023. The intern assists with prelaunch production projects, such as strategizing and implementing promotion of the course and providing feedback to participants once the course begins. The second component is Virtual and On-Site Teacher Workshops for 2023–2024. The intern’s tasks include co-planning and supporting with materials and administrative preparation. For the third component, the Summer Institute for Educators, the intern develops materials for participants, engages in planning meetings with thought partners, and assists with learning-group leader preparation. The Summer Institute (which runs from July 11 to 14) is a physically and mentally demanding program and requires a strong commitment and energy to sustain the fast pace of work. Please note: the intern needs to work extended hours on-site during the long program days, in addition to the week prior (when preparations are finalized). The intern should have a graduate degree or be in a graduate degree program relating to education, studio art, art history, or museums. They should have a strong interest in museum education; an interest in teacher professional development is a plus. Microsoft Office skills are required; Adobe Suite skills are helpful but not required. Strong organization and administration skills and a self-starting attitude are highly valuable. Comfort with art materials and a willingness to do preparation and cleanup are also important. Some weekend and evening work is also required.

Apply Online

Department of Gallery and Studio Learning
Division of Education
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785

[email protected]
(202) 842-6257

Please do not contact Gallery curators or other department heads directly regarding possible placement or projects.

Please review a list of Frequently Asked Questions about internships.