Since 1964 the National Gallery of Art has offered professional museum training to candidates from all backgrounds through a variety of internship programs. Nine-week virtual summer internships provide opportunities to work on projects directed by a Gallery curator or department head. Biweekly museum seminars introduce interns to the broad spectrum of museum work, and to Gallery staff, departments, programs, and functions.

Interns will learn about the collection by developing and presenting live art talks on Zoom. At the beginning of the summer, interns will participate in an intensive training about online public speaking. They will learn how to talk about original works of art in a way that is relevant, engaging, and accessible. Interns then develop tours that incorporate their own interests and offer online audiences an insider perspective on the National Gallery of Art and its collection.

The internship program will feature:

• Virtual gallery talks with curators
• Discussions with top-level administrators, including the Gallery’s director
• Conversations with staff from a wide variety of museum departments and former interns
• Behind-the-scenes tours and demonstrations
• Presentations on the museum’s history and collection
• Opportunity to develop and present an original talk (10–12 minutes) about an artwork in the Gallery’s collection

Eligibility

Eligibility varies according to internship. A few are geared to undergraduates, but most are for undergraduates completing their degrees in May or June 2021, currently enrolled graduate students of all levels and those graduating in May or June 2021 with a relevant degree (such as MA, MS, MBA, MFA, MArch, MEd, JD, or MLS). Please check prerequisites carefully. Candidates who are people of color, LGBTQ+, bilingual or multilingual, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

*NEW* — Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions on United States visas and entry, only United States citizens and foreign nationals currently in the United States on F-1 visas will be considered for internships in 2021-2022.

Terms

Summer interns will work remotely from a location in the United States from June 14 to August 13, 2021. Interns must be available for the entire nine weeks, 40 hours per week. Although remote work allows for flexible hours, interns should be available online during certain windows of a 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST) timeframe, in order to communicate in real time.

Interns receive a stipend of approximately $4,500 that is subject to all applicable taxes.

Application Timeline and Procedures

Deadline: February 28, 2021

By the date above, all applications must be submitted online, in English, through our portal. We will not accept applications or related materials via email, postal mail, or in person.

The online application will require you to provide the following:

• A letter (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, including what you hope to achieve from the experience, what you feel you can contribute to the department(s) in which you are interested, and how such an experience would further your education and career plans.
• A writing sample (no more than 20 pages, including footnotes or endnotes, bibliography, and images). An academic paper works best for a research position. Business students may decide to submit a case or memo. Computer science and engineering students may choose to submit an online code repository or blog post. Applicants to the web internship are asked to submit a portfolio of projects.
• A résumé or full 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). Once you have submitted your references’ names, titles, and email addresses, 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 28 at 5:00 p.m. (EST). There is no fee to apply to any of the internships.

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

April 23, 2021

Finalists will be selected.

Review Process

All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of Gallery staff and outside specialists.

The above and additional information is at this webpage:

https://www.nga.gov/opportunities/interns-and-fellows/graduate/summer.html?utm_source=National+Gallery+of+Art&utm_campaign=3538fea39f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_16_03_14_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2085ff9475-3538fea39f-343614351

Apply at:

https://internshipsnga.onlineapplicationportal.com/