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Summer 2024
Museum Internship Program
The Chrysler Museum of Art aims to encourage and support higher education students considering museum professions by providing experiential summer learning opportunities in various museum departments. The Chrysler Museum’s longstanding Summer Internship Program is project-based, with each intern being assigned a mentor and working within a specific department to gain professional experience in a focused area related to their studies or an area they are interested in exploring.
To ensure the cohort of interns has a robust experience with opportunities to network with each other and various staff members, as a group, the interns participate in weekly discussions and outings that explore the history of museums, their role in society, and the various professions engaged in the museum field, such as education, curating, conservation, public programming, communications and visitor services.
The Summer Internship Program – 2024 will run from May 30–August 4, 2024. The typical schedule is Tuesday–Friday from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sometimes, individual arrangements may be made with specific departments to accommodate other commitments. In addition, some departments may request an altered schedule for special events or projects.
Interns will receive a $2,000 stipend. Please note the Chrysler Museum does not have or offer assistance in identifying housing accommodations if needed.
If you are interested in joining the summer 2024 cohort, please review the application process below. All application materials are due by Sunday, February 11, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted. Interviews with selected candidates will occur in February and March 2024. Applicants will be notified of their status by Friday, March 15, 2024 at 5 p.m.
To submit an application, please 1) complete the form below, 2) attach/upload a current resume/CV and cover letter to the form, and 3) identify and request a person to submit a letter of recommendation using this link.
NOTE: Your cover letter should indicate TWO departments with which you most want to work and your qualifications/interests for those requests. Letters of recommendation will only be accepted by the person making the recommendation for the intern candidate and be sent by email.
If you have any questions about the internship program or application process, please contact Stacey Shelnut-Hendrick, Deputy Director, Public Engagement and Learning, at shendrick@chrysler.org.
The application portal will be open to receive applications through February 11, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
The Chrysler Museum of Art provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
We offer internships in a wide variety of departments across the Museum.
Departments Seeking Interns
Communications Department Internship
The Communications Department is responsible for conveying information related to the Museum’s activities to the local and broader community. Marketing, communications, public relations, and social media play an essential role to increase and expand public awareness and relevancy of museums. The Communications Department shares information about the Museum, but it is also a major conduit for relaying the public’s interests, concerns, and questions to Museum staff.
The Communications intern will work with staff to ensure consistent delivery of the Chrysler Museum’s communication strategies. Projects could range from creating social media content, writing press releases, drafting weekly emails, designing labels, as well as other supporting work for the department. The ideal candidate has completed some media planning, integrated marketing communications, or graphic design coursework. They are knowledgeable of marketing concepts, emerging technologies, and social media platforms. Desired experience with Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, writing, editing, and photography is a plus.
Curatorial Department Internship
Open to Hampton University juniors and seniors only. At the Chrysler Museum of Art, the primary responsibility for the day-to-day care and management of its collection rests with the Curatorial Department, which includes Curators, Conservators, Registrars, and exhibition design and prep staff. The Curatorial Department works with other departments to present art objects and the ideas behind them in ways that engage the public and offer opportunities for close and varied examination of art.
Working with The Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow, the summer intern will research the Chrysler Museum of Art’s African Art collection and assist and support all curatorial activities related to an upcoming reinstallation of the galleries focused on African Art. The intern will gain skills in the core functions of the curatorial department, namely research, collection management, and interpretation, and the overall interworkings of a mid-size museum. At the end of the internship, deliverables will include new labels for key art objects in the African Art gallery and an online exhibition. The ideal candidate will be a strong researcher and communicator and have a strong desire to learn various subjects.
Development Department Internship
The Development Department is a critical function of the Chrysler Museum of Art—ensuring financial support of the Museum through cultivation of individual giving (memberships, philanthropy, estate planning), grants, sponsorships, and corporate charitable support.
The Development Department is looking for an intern to assist and support the development and roll out of a new Museum membership structure. The intern will conduct research–including surveys, benchmarking, and peer interviews–to strategically debut a new membership structure and maximize its potential. This project would include creating an action plan and timeline utilizing community calendars and the master schedule of Museum programs and events. The intern would gain experience in key business systems, target marketing, and constituent communication and fulfillment. The intern would have the opportunity to become familiar with and undertake daily administrative duties within the Development Department, which include, but are not limited to, help with data entry and database structure/integrity, donor/member relations, event support, and building out prospecting opportunities.
The ideal candidate needs to have strong interpersonal skills, pay attention to detail, and the ability to work independently as well as within a highly coordinated team. A background in customer service is a plus, along with basic data entry skills and some experience with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. In addition, the candidate should be able to follow detailed and nuanced instructions.
Public Engagement and Learning (PEL) Department Internship
The Public Engagement and Learning Department (PEL) coordinates a variety of educational programs and activities, at the Museum and within the community, to ensure its collection and resources are used for lifelong learning. PEL serves a cross-section of the community through public programs, Jean Outland Chrysler Library, community engagement, the docent program, and K-12 school and teacher services.
PEL offers a unique opportunity for an internship that celebrates teaching in an art museum. This intern should be eager to share art with the public through object-based museum education practices and studio art instruction. Projects include, but are not limited to, thematic tour development, artmaking lesson planning and implementation, qualitative data analysis, and art history research. Taking inspiration from the collection and knowledge about how people learn and engage with art, the PEL Intern will use their critical thinking and presentation skills to build exciting learning opportunities for the Museum’s varied audiences. Ideal intern candidates will be playful, open-minded, organized, communicative, collaborative, and curious.
The application portal will be open to receive applications through February 11, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.