John Wilmerding Internships, 2023–2024

The Index of American Design (IAD) (1935–1942) was a program under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that sought to (1) employ and maintain the skills of 1,200 artists during the Depression years; (2) preserve America’s artistic and cultural heritage by documenting the development of arts and crafts in different parts of the country; and (3) create a series of portfolios from the Index watercolor renderings that would serve as a permanent guide for artists, scholars, and the public. The National Gallery of Art Archives maintains a significant collection of records associated with IAD, and substantial work is required to make these assets discoverable, accessible, and linked to their respective accessioned objects in the National Gallery’s department of modern prints and drawings (CG-MPD). The intern works with archives staff to further arrange and digitize core materials, rehouse selected series and subseries of records for long-term preservation, and work with colleagues in CG-MPD to enhance the connectivity between the IAD accessioned objects and their records in the archives. This work offers a graduate student in art history, material culture, archives, or information studies an exceptional set of hands-on experiences with primary source materials upon which our understanding of 18th- and 19th-century American folk and decorative arts is based. The intern should have at least one year of graduate education, and experience using primary source materials (archives and manuscripts). Skills include scrupulous attention to detail, making spreadsheets, and data/metadata entry work. Experience with the web-based collection management system TMS (The Museum System) is a plus.

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The intern assists with two related projects: Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, an upcoming touring exhibition, and Mark Rothko: Works on Paper, the online catalogue raisonné of the artist’s 2,600 plus works on paper. The exhibition, scheduled to open in Washington in November 2023, brings together 100 of Rothko’s most compelling paintings on paper, tracing the important role that paper played in his broader output. The intern assists in all aspects of the exhibition’s final preparations as well as programming during its run in Washington, working collaboratively with colleagues in curatorial, design, publishing, and education departments. The intern also contributes to ongoing research and production of the online catalogue raisonné. Duties may include conducting research on the provenance, exhibition history, and bibliography of individual works, their subjects, iconography, and facture, as well as relevant thematic topics, and Rothko’s biography. The intern may draft brief texts for publication on the catalogue raisonné site and may also assist with tasks related to the design, structure, and production of the digital resource and its content (researching, fact checking, and editing). The intern uses local research collections, such as the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art and the Library of Congress. There may be opportunities to travel farther afield to view works being considered for inclusion in the catalogue raisonné or to consult relevant collections or archives. Those with specialized knowledge and coursework in 20th-century American art history are encouraged to apply, particularly at the graduate level.

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An exhibition drawn from the National Gallery’s permanent collection, Documentary: American Photography in the 1970s examines the diverse and compelling responses by artists who opened documentary photography to a profusion of new strategies and subjects during a decade marked by social and political upheaval. The exhibition, scheduled for 2024 or 2025, provides visitors with a visually dynamic and thought-provoking introduction to the different modes of documentary photography being produced in the United States during the 1970s, including powerful pictures of community self-representation and activism, artistic expressions of self-identity and daily life, and environmentally concerned records of the landscape. Exhibition planning and organizing are central to curatorial work and the intern shall actively assist in the entire exhibition process. Tasks include creating research files on specific artworks in the exhibition, drafting wall labels, attending meetings to discuss matting and framing of artworks and exhibition layout, and collecting research for and helping design online and educational materials. The intern shall also assist in other central curatorial activities, including the processes that support collection management and art acquisition. (For this exhibition, the department of photographs anticipates acquiring a small group of pictures by Latinx photographers working during the 1970s.) Those tasks include conducting research for acquisition documentation, writing visual description labels for new acquisitions, and cataloging photographs using the web-based collection management system TMS (The Museum System). Important skills include art-historical research and writing skills (a bachelor’s or master’s degree and the ability to write in English) and familiarity with post–World War II art history or the history of photography.

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The interpretation department is responsible for developing audience-centered interpretive experiences that foster engagement with and understanding of the museum’s collections and exhibitions. Interpretation staff work collaboratively with colleagues in the digital experience division to create online content, in-gallery interactives, immersive installations, and more. The department of interpretation seeks a creative and motivated intern to support a variety of digital projects aimed at enhancing visitor engagement around the permanent collection and a forthcoming exhibition. The intern contributes to the development of an in-gallery digital experience that serves as a complement to a major 2024 exhibition. The intern works closely with the interpretive lead on the project and interfaces with a range of colleagues from the digital experience division. In addition, the intern assists on a range of initiatives that enhance engagement with permanent collection objects online and create new pathways of discovery that resonate with general audiences. The candidate should possess a basic understanding of museum education practices, web accessibility, and user experience design with an enthusiasm for learning more. Other desired skills include attention to detail, excellent written and verbal communication skills, experience writing for general museum audiences, and ability to work in a collaborative team environment.

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