Internships

The Whitney Museum of American Art offers both academic year and summer internship programs for university students. Internships are geared toward college juniors, seniors, and graduate students (no freshmen) who gain first-hand experience about how a museum functions. Under the supervision of a department head or curator, interns will assist with regular departmental activities that range from research and special projects to routine administrative and clerical tasks.

Academic: Internships for university students are by semester or full year. Submit by mail or email, a resume and cover letter, stating the departments you are interested in working in, the skills you bring, and how you hope to contribute to the department. There is no deadline for submissions and no stipend. For further information about the academic year internship, please open the attachment below.
 
Spring Semester Internships: The internships are an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to learn about a specific area within a prestigious mid-sized cultural institution. Interns are required to commit themselves to a minimum of 2–3 days per week for the entire semester. There is no stipend, but interns are eligible for regular employee discounts at the Museum restaurant and store as well as invitations to exhibition openings and free admission to most New York City museums.
 
Curatorial
Under the supervision of a curatorial assistant, interns assist in regular departmental activities that range from research and special projects to routine administrative and clerical tasks. Applicants should have strong research and writing skills and knowledge of twentieth and twenty-first century American Art. There are seven curators and one chief curator.

Development
Internships are available in the following areas: Corporate Partnerships, Development Records, Foundations & Government Relations, Major Gifts, Membership, and Special Events.
These internships are an opportunity for students to learn about a specific area of Development within a mid-size cultural institution. Interns will assist with regular departmental activities that range from research, drafting letters, updating donor database records, project work, and administrative tasks. Applicants must have excellent writing and oral communication skills, superior telephone etiquette, excellent attention to detail, strong organization skills, the ability to work independently and stay focused in a busy office environment.
 
Director’s Office
Reporting to the administrative coordinator, the intern will help support for the Director’s Office administrative staff. This internship is geared toward students who are interested in arts administration. Applicants must have excellent writing and oral communication skills, superior telephone etiquette, excellent attention to detail, and strong organizational skills. Computer skills: MS Office, Outlook, and internet research are essential.

Education: Public Programs
Reporting to the manager of education initiatives, the intern’s responsibilities will include the following: assist with the logistics and execution of adult public programs as well as artist and program research. Applicants should be interested in event production, content research, and adult education. Other requirements include: excellent written and oral communication skills, good attention to detail, and strong organizational skills.
 
Education: Web Intern (Youth Insights Program)
Reporting to the coordinator of Youth Programs, the Web Intern will assist with the preparation and organization of online content generated by semester and year-long programs for teens at The Whitney Museum. Ideal candidates will have a background in web or graphic design and strong proficiency in digital and social media. 

Graphic Design
Under the supervision of the design staff, the intern will assist with: general design and production assistance—design and production of small print and environmental projects (e.g. invitations, labels, temporary signs), production of comps and mockups, other design and production jobs (print, web, screen, and environmental) as needed; research—investigating practices at peer institutions, researching print materials and costs, image collecting; filing/archiving/documentation of finished projects. Strong design skills required.

Information Technology
Reporting to the manager of interactive technology, the intern will provide assistance with iTunes U content management; perform Google Analytics and data visualization work; research mobile app concepts and mobile vendors.

Marketing
Under the supervision of the marketing manager, the intern will research and report on arts nonprofit marketing trends; maintain clip binders; assist in ad trafficking; track social media statistics on a weekly basis; assist in preparation for visitor surveys; maintain and update social media calendar; maintain events, exhibition dates, and photo albums on Whitney Facebook page; assist with production on whitney.org; and conduct ongoing general marketing research projects.

Publications: Rights & Reproductions
Under the supervision of the manager of rights and reproductions, the intern will secure permissions from approximately 115 artists and estates for the permanent collection pages of the Whitney Museum’s website. Applicants need to be proficient in MS Word and MS Excel and have experience with PhotoShop.

Email hr@whitney.org with further questions.