Opportunities
The Boston College Career Center offers a wide range of programs each semester. Be sure to check their website and EagleLink often for newly scheduled events.
Bonhams Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers
Bonhams Skinner has a variety of entry-level positions at their Marlborough, MA and Boston locations. Most of these are full-time, and appropriate for recent graduates.
Sync-On-Set: Various entry-level positions
This Los Angeles-based Emmy Award-winning tech startup company was founded by BC graduates. These entry-level positions in customer support and sales in a TV/film industry-related company offer an opportunity for graduating students seeking an entrée to those industries. The Hollywood Eagles folks (BC's student film club) offer to put in a good word for anyone interested in applying for one of these positions; email them at hollywoodeags@gmail.com.
Stylus
BC's undergraduate arts and literary magazine. Send your art to bcstylus@gmail.com.
Boston Accent Lit
This online literary journal, published six times a year, showcases innovative and daring work and provides a platform for underrepresented voices. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis; Michael Rose (whose work you may know from Big Red & Shiny) is the Art Editor.
The Walter Feldman Fellowship for Emerging Artists
This fellowship, administered by the Arts & Business Council of Boston, supports the careers of emerging artists through the experience of a solo exhibition, curatorial support, and professional development including expert counsel in marketing and business skills. The Fellowship is open to artists working in two-dimensional media (excluding photography) who have yet to have their first solo exhibition, are based in New England, and are under the age of 40 as of the application deadline.
The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation
This foundation awards emerging artists working in a representational style of painting, drawing, sculpture or printmaking grants of $15,000 Canadian dollars for artistic development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Jacques Salmanowitz Program Grants
$1,500 grants for students pursuing social justice documentary film projects during spring break and this coming summer. Students who have no filming experience may team up with a film student. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Boston College
Al-Noor is the Boston College Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Journal. Publishes student research on the Middle East and Islam.
Elements is the undergraduate research journal of Boston College, showcasing the varied research endeavors of fellow undergraduates to the greater academic community.
Kaleidoscope is an undergraduate-run publication focusing on international affairs and cultures.
The Laughing Medusa is Boston College's Women's Literature and Arts Journal.
Oracle is Boston College’s undergraduate journal for history. Oracle's purpose is to serve as a resource for prospective and current History majors and minors. By showcasing exemplary scholarship by undergraduates, Oracle aims to guide, inspire, and celebrate works by History scholars. For prospective majors and minors, we hope Oraclewill demonstrate that history is an exciting arena for inquiry and discovery that the present is intrinsically bound with its past.
Stylus is Boston College's literary and art magazine.
The Terrace is the McMullen Museum of Art's digital publication. Boston College students are invited to submit their artwork and scholarly papers for publication. In addition, The Terrace frequently solicits student work for online exhibitions related to exhibitions on view at the Museum.
Students may also want to consider working for The Heights.
Beyond Boston College
The Visual Culture Consortium holds an annual Undergraduate Art History Symposium at the MFA. Several BC art history students have participated in the symposium in the past. Calls for papers are generally sent out in the late fall and the deadline to apply is January. Students must submit a 250-word abstract of their proposed 15-minute paper to vccbostonsymposium@gmail.com.
SUNY New Paltz Undergraduate Art History Symposium: This annual conference is held in April and the application deadline is usually in February. The call for papers is sent out in January. Undergraduate students are invited to submit abstracts for a 10-minute talk on any art historical topic of their choice. Submissions may include a version or part of an undergraduate thesis, an exceptional course paper, or independent research.
Bowdoin Journal of Art: This undergraduate journal for art historical research, is run by the Bowdoin Art Society, a student-run organization at Bowdoin College. It is one of only a few American and international academic art publications that feature the work of undergraduates. The Journal examines themes of traditional and contemporary art practice. For inquiries, please contact journalofart@bowdoin.edu.
1890, A Journal of Undergraduate Research: The aim of this journal is to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to demonstrate their interests and abilities in various disciplines by accepting works of research, creative writing, poetry, reviews, and art. New Plains Student Publishing uses 1890 to encourage, recognize, and reward intellectual and creative activity beyond the classroom by providing a forum that builds a cohesive academic community.
Apollon Undergraduate Journal: A journal that strives to publish superior examples of undergraduate humanities research from a variety of disciplines as well as intellectual approaches.
Boston and New England
McMullen Museum of Art Student Ambassador Program (Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA). Paid. Student Ambassadors work five to ten hours a week at $12 an hour collaborating on student programs and exhibition openings, acting as museum greeters, selling catalogues, contributing to the McMullen’s social media platforms, implementing new digital initiatives, and assisting with research on temporary exhibitions and the Museum’s permanent collection. Student Ambassadors explore first-hand museum best practices while gaining experience in collections management, digital humanities, museum programming, and outreach.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA): Paid. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston offers a limited number of college level (undergraduate and graduate) paid internship opportunities in fall, spring, and summer terms. MFA interns develop networks, gain hands-on training in specific Museum roles, and participate in professional development workshops to learn about a range of museum careers and practices.
Frederick Law Olmstead National Historical Site (Brookline, MA): Unpaid. The park offers real-world learning experiences in the following areas: Programming for school groups, Youth afterschool and summer programming, Interpretation and visitor services, Marketing and communications, Volunteer program management, Preservation Maintenance: historic buildings and grounds.
Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, MA): The ICA occasionally posts internships and other early-career job opportunities on their website.
Leader Alliance Summer Research Early Idenfication Program: The Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) is a fully paid summer internship that provides undergraduates with training and mentoring in the principles underlying the conduct of research and prepares them to pursue competitive applications to PhD or MD-PhD programs.
MIT List Visual Arts Center (Cambridge, MA): Occasionally offers internships for undergraduate students. Check the Arts Intern website for openings.
Newport Mansions (Newport, RI): Paid and unpaid. Interns will work on various assignments related to department initiatives, ranging from administrative tasks and special projects, to research opportunities. Assignments are dependent on the Preservation Society’s needs and the intern’s individual strengths and interests. The Preservation Society hosts interns from a wide variety of academic backgrounds who have an interest in preservation, art, history, museums, and business operations. The type of internships vary from department to department.
Peabody Essex Museum (Salem, MA): Unpaid. PEM offers the chance to work side by side with professionals in diverse fields and make valuable contacts within the museum world. Be ready to bring ideas to the table, set goals and accomplish meaningful projects. You might shoot and produce a video for integrated media, write a marketing plan, coordinate a wedding or build part of an exhibition. Interns learn invaluable professional and time-management skills. Plus, a museum is an exciting and creative place to work! Volunteer internships are available with flexible hours in a range of departments.
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) (Providence, RI): Paid. The RISD Museum’s Andrew W. Mellon summer internship program introduces students to museum work and offers in-depth experience working in a specific department of the RISD Museum. Interns contribute to departmental projects with Museum staff as supervisors. As a cohort, interns discuss museum practice, build professional skills for working in the arts, and learn about how museums live up to their missions. This is designed as an introductory experience for students without prior experience or access to similar opportunities.
Bonhams Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers (Boston MA): Occasionally seeks an auction assistant. This internship is an excellent opportunity for students interested in working at auction houses. Please contact careers@skinnerinc.com for more information.
Wadsworth Atheneum (Hartford, CT): Unpaid. The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art offers a variety of internship opportunities to undergraduate, graduate, and recently graduated students during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The Internship Program is designed to introduce students interested in pursuing a career in the museum field to the inner workings of an encyclopedic art museum under the guidance of experienced museum professionals.
USA and International
Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, IL). Unpaid. As an intern, you will complete various tasks related to department initiatives, while collaborating with industry experts. This includes, and is not limited to, assisting in daily departmental activities, taking part in special projects, and lending a hand with research.
Brooklyn Museum (New York City, NY). Paid and unpaid. Learn from, and work with, experts from all areas of the Brooklyn Museum. As an intern, you'll be paired with a supervisor and integrated into one of our departments, participating fully in day-to-day workplace activities and projects with the guidance of full-time staff members. In addition to gaining extensive work experience, interns have the opportunity to attend seminars that focus on the role of museums in society today, and how they might imagine the future. Internship opportunities include unpaid positions (with the option for school credit arranged through your college or university) as well as competitive paid positions for undergraduates and recent graduates.
Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland, OH). The CMA will offer a limited number of short-term internships in Spring 2021. Unless otherwise indicated in the position description, all spring internships will be remote only.
Cooper Hewitt Museum (New York City, NY). Paid (stipend). The Peter A. Krueger Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to gain professional skills and learn about museum practices at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States that is exclusively devoted to historic and contemporary design. Interns will acquire in-depth knowledge and develop an enriched understanding of how the museum fulfills its mission to educate, inspire, and empower people through design.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR). Paid. The Havner Curatorial Summer Internship at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a paid internship and opportunity to gain first-hand experience in a curatorial department and exposure to the workings of a major American art museum. Havner Interns will work one on one with a member of the curatorial team and assist with exhibition projects, develop interpretation, including writing labels for collections objects, conduct research on objects in the collection. Interns are expected to work with the full scope of the collection, which spans the eighteenth century through today.
Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas, TX). Paid. Each year the Dallas Museum of Art offers nine paid internship positions divided among the Museum’s Education, Curatorial, and Design and Interpretation Departments. McDermott Internships are open to individuals who have completed undergraduate or graduate degrees prior to the program's start date and are interested in exploring museum careers. Established in 1974, the McDermott Internship Program allows Interns to work closely with staff throughout the Museum and provides opportunities for individual contributions, resulting in an in-depth and well-rounded perspective on museum work.
511 Gallery (New York City, NY). Unpaid. We consistently seek interns who are strong researchers and writers, who have an expressive voice of their own when talking and writing about art, and who are passionate and curious about contemporary art and art history. Our internships are not paid, but many interns have received course credit from their colleges for their experiences at 511. Our interns have gone on from working at 511 to internships and full-time jobs at museums, galleries, and auction houses, as well as to top graduate programs in art history and curatorial studies.
Frick Collection (New York City, NY). The Frick offers internship opportunities throughout the school year and summer for undergraduate students with an interest in careers in art museums and libraries. Students with strong backgrounds in Art History, Museum Studies, Museum Education, or Library Science are encouraged to apply. These internships provide superb opportunities for participating in all aspects of museum and library work in small dynamic departments and interacting with staff across the institution and the public.
The Getty Foundation (Los Angeles, CA). Paid (stipend). Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internships The internships are intended for outstanding students who are members of groups underrepresented in careers related to museums and the visual arts. Students gain experience in key areas such as curatorship, conservation, education, publications, and related programmatic activities. Candidates are sought from all areas of undergraduate study at any higher education institution—including community colleges, trade schools, and public and private universities—and are not required to have demonstrated a previous commitment to the visual arts.
John and Marble Ringling Museum of Art (Sarasota, FL). Paid. Summer internships combine practical, hands-on experience working on a project for a specific department with exposure to all aspects of The Ringling’s operation.
Jewish Museum (New York City, NY). Paid and unpaid. The Jewish Museum's year-round Internship Program provides an opportunity to participate in the day-to-day operations of one of New York City's leading museums of art and culture.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Los Angeles, CA). Unpaid. The internship program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn about projects related to documenting the permanent collection, inventorying and cataloging objects, incoming and outgoing loans, exhibitions, database management, and special projects. The interns will be exposed to all phases of registration and receive additional assignments focusing on archiving and museum ethics.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, NY). Paid. The Met has over forty department areas that host interns from a wide variety of academic backgrounds.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) (Chicago, IL). Paid. MCA internships provide valuable opportunities to learn how nonprofits operate in the company of like-minded young professionals. Many of our former interns go on to careers in museums and other cultural organizations. On occasion, they even join the MCA staff.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (New York City, NY). Paid (stipend). Full-time, seven-month internships with stipends are offered at MoMA for recent graduates of bachelor’s or master’s degree programs interested in pursuing or exploring a museum career. Interns will be provided focused departmental training, complemented with regular activities designed for this cohort to receive greater exposure to the museum and art fields. Internships provide training in specific museum fields through close work with a professional staff member, familiarity with modern and contemporary art through seminars and discussions, and an educational program that exposes interns to the workings of the Museum as a whole, while considering the role of museums in the broader cultural context.
National Gallery of Art (Washington DC). Most NGA internships require graduate work but some are for graduating undergraduates, and nearly all are paid.
National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington DC). Paid and unpaid. Internships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture offer college and graduate students and recent graduates opportunities to work closely with professionals and scholars in the museum field. The museum provides a dynamic learning environment and access to supportive mentors that help interns reach their educational and professional goals. Interns can gain practical museum skills and program development experience in a variety of positions from education to collections to public relations.
National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington DC). Paid (stipend). Offers internships for students seeking valuable professional experience in the heart of Washington, D.C. Internship opportunities are available in the fall, spring, and summer in a variety of departments. Internship program is specifically designed for students who have completed their sophomore year of undergraduate study (or higher) and recent graduates. All applicants must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA). Paid (stipend). Every summer, the Museum Studies Internship Program offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a metropolitan museum. This nine-week, Monday-to-Friday program promotes an awareness of the broad range of museum careers through experiences not available in most academic settings. Museum Studies interns spend four days each week in a specific department. Placements vary from year to year according to departmental needs. The remainder of the week is spent in a Museum Studies seminar.
Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington DC). Paid and unpaid. Since 1968, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery have provided instruction and inspiration to over one thousand graduate and undergraduate students, as well as others seeking self-enrichment. Former interns have achieved success in professional positions in the art and museum fields, both nationally and internationally.
Smithsonian Institution (Washington DC). Paid and Unpaid. Offers a wide range of internship opportunities at the Smithsonian, sorted by unit. Follow this link to get a better sense about where you might like to pursue an internship at the Smithsonian.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City, NY). The objective of the Guggenheim Museum Internship Program is to provide practical training experience to individuals interested in pursuing careers in the arts and museum fields. Interns gain a broad understanding of how a particular department functions within the context of a major museum, as well as specific skills related to that department’s activities. Interns are assigned based on academic background, professional skills, interests, and career goals. Under the supervision of designated staff members, interns participate in the ongoing work of museum departments, complete individual projects, and contribute to larger Guggenheim initiatives.
ArtTable Fellowship. Each year ArtTable conducts a fellowship program to address the marked lack of diversity in arts employment. The Fellowship provides quality experiences and mentorship opportunities to female-identifying graduate students and emerging professionals from backgrounds generally underrepresented in the field to aid their transition from academic to professional careers.
Arts Intern. Provides listings of a variety of paid and unpaid internships in the arts within the Boston area and in other cities across the country. Updated regularly.
Academic Jobs Online lists open faculty positions worldwide. You can search by discipline (discipline names do not seem to be standardized, so be sure to scroll through the list if you don't want to miss anything!) to get a sense of where and what type of teaching positions are available in your field.
American Alliance of Museums. Museum job listings and career development and management resources.
ArtJobs includes postings in arts, culture, education, theatre and museums.
Association for Art History. British, but listings are worldwide. Job, speaking and funding opportunities.
College Art Association Career Center. The CAA is the most important professional organization for practitioners and scholars of the visual arts. Its annual conference in February provides a venue for networking, interviews, and for scholars and artists—both emerging and established—to present their work. You may find membership in CAA—benefits of which include subscriptions to its numerous publications, discounts, and career advice along with full access to job listings—to be well worth the reasonable price.
H-Net Job Guide. If you're interested in pursuing a career in academia, this resource, which posts academic position announcements in the Humanities, will give you an idea of the types of positions available.
HireCulture. The Massachusetts Cultural Council's job search engine for art-related careers in Massachusetts.
New York Foundation of the Arts claims to receive "more listings per day than any other art-focused job board." Although the emphasis is on openings in the greater New York City area, listings from all over the U.S. are included as well.
Preservation Directory. Job and internship listings in the fields of Preservation and Cultural Resources.
TheArtGorgeous is a Hong Kong-based project that posts art world job openings from all over the globe.
USAJOBS. All federal job openings, including at federal museums like the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institution, are posted here.
Visual Resources Association: Emerging Professionals and Students Group. Jobs and career resources for the image management field.