Princeton University Art Museum Summer Internships

Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply for a nine-week summer internship program at the Princeton University Art Museum. The 2016 summer internship program will run from June 6 to August 5. Undergraduate students majoring in any discipline at any four-year college or university, and graduate students who have completed their first year in an M.A. or Ph.D. program in art history, archaeology, or a related field, are eligible to apply. Princeton University students are given priority for all positions.

Interns have the opportunity to work in one of the following departments: curatorial, education, development, information technology, marketing, office of the registrar, publications, or retail and wholesale operations. Not all departments take interns each summer, and interns are placed on the basis of their experience, academic training, and departmental need. Please specify your interest in a specific department. Collections information research will be part of all the interns’ experience.

Summer 2016 projects include:

• Ancient Art: assisting in the planning of The Berlin Painter and his World exhibition of 2017, and researching objects in the collection.
• Art of the Ancient Americas: helping to prepare a catalogue on Mesoamerican art for the Princeton University collection.
• Campus Collections: writing labels for campus sculptures and other works of art; excellent research and writing skills required.
• Education: assisting with PUPP (Princeton University Preparatory Program); interest in teaching and studio art desirable.
• European Painting and Sculpture: assisting with a French paintings catalogue and researching paintings and sculptures in the collection; proficiency in European languages desirable.
• Information & Technology: reviewing, cataloguing, and organizing past exhibitions and creating references to the Museum’s Record of the Art Museum.
• Information & Technology and Photography: digitizing and cataloguing photographs of the American artist Minor White to create a digital resource.
• Marketing & Public Relations: assisting in the development of marketing strategies for upcoming exhibitions; drafting press releases; tracking media and social media coverage.
• Museum Store: working with Manager of Retail and Wholesail Operations on product development initiatives, the store website, and marketing regional craft artists through social media.
• Office of the Director: conducting research on Princeton’s untold histories, potential public art projects, and special cross-departmental initiatives. Advanced research skills and a background in public history required; graduate student preferred.
• Photography: assisting with the review and cataloguing of photographs.
• Registrar & Collections Services: assisting in the digital archiving of key documents (loan agreements, condition reports and non-exclusive licenses) and other collections-and exhibition based-data entry and research; possibly helping with summer exhibitions. Familiarity with databases, data entry and photo applications, as well as an interest in the documentation and management of collections required.

Program
In addition to departmental responsibilities, interns participate in a two-day orientation program, weekly lunch discussions with Museum staff, and field trips to other arts and cultural organizations in the region.

Eligibility
Undergraduate students from any two- or four-year college or university and graduate students who have completed their first year in a M.A. or Ph.D. program in art history, archaeology, or a related field are eligible to apply. Princeton University students are given priority for all positions. Unfortunately previous recipients of the summer internship are not eligible to apply.

Dates and Compensation
The 2016 program will run from Monday, June 6 to Friday, August 5. Undergraduate students (and recent college graduates) are paid approximately $13 per hour. Graduate students are paid $20 per hour. All interns must be available to work the entire nine-week period.

How to Apply
Applications must include: a cover letter describing the applicant’s specific interest in the internship program (including department of interest) and how a museum internship relates to the applicant’s larger educational or career goals; a C.V. or résumé; two letters of academic recommendation; and an official academic transcript. Applications will be accepted beginning January 1; the deadline for receipt of all materials is 5 p.m. on February 26. The application should be submitted electronically to PUAMint@princeton.edu.

Letters of recommendation and transcripts may be sent in hard copy to:
Summer Internship Program
Princeton University Art Museum
Princeton, NJ 08544

Applicants may be contacted for interviews, and accepted applicants will be notified by the middle of April. For additional questions, see our FAQ. Internships are made possible in part by the Hilla von Rebay Foundation, the Frelinghuysen Foundation, and the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.