Harvard Art Museums
Please see instructions on how to apply at the bottom of this page.
Ever since their founding, the Harvard Art Museums—the Fogg Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, and Arthur M. Sackler Museum—have been dedicated to advancing and supporting learning at Harvard University, in the local community, and around the world. The museums have played a leading role in the development of art history, conservation, and conservation science, and in the evolution of the art museum as an institution. Through research, teaching, professional training, and public education, the museums strive to advance the understanding and appreciation of art.
This internship focuses on the creative, multidisciplinary field of museum exhibition design.
Working in the Exhibitions department of the Harvard Art Museums, the intern will assist with the conception and development of future special exhibitions. The experience will introduce the intern to the objectives, considerations, and stakeholders that are a part the design process, as well as the tools used to generate and refine creative ideas.
The internship has several goals:
For the intern to gain understanding of the field of exhibition design as a possible career choice, through real-life work experience and mentorship.
For the intern to contribute meaningfully to one or more exhibition projects while producing valuable material for their design portfolio.
For the Harvard Art Museums to benefit from the student’s contributions, perspectives, and ideas.
The intern will work alongside the Harvard Art Museums’ two fulltime exhibition designers to develop designs for upcoming special exhibitions.
Intern Responsibilities:
Drafting gallery layout floorplans and elevations.
Building 3D virtual exhibition models.
Sketching and developing ideas for exhibition-related design solutions.
Designing custom display furniture and fixtures.
Preparing presentation materials and participating in working meetings with museum colleagues.
The intern will learn how to employ these tools, and more importantly, about the creative considerations and approaches that feed into exhibition designs.
The internship is ideally intended for a student of Architecture or Interior Architecture, Industrial or Furniture Design, Interior Design, or a similar field of study.
Applicants should primarily demonstrate three-dimensional design skills and interests, such as drafting, modeling, and some shop experience.
Interns will work onsite 28 hours per week and attend a mandatory offsite program day one day per week with their cohort.
Interns must be available for the duration of the program.
INTERNSHIP DURATION:
Total Weeks: 9 weeks
Work Hours per Week: 28
Total Hours: 252
Workdays: 4 days per week onsite
PROGRAM DAY:
On the 5th day of each week, interns will attend an offsite program day with their cohort.
These hours are separate from the internship hours.
BEFORE APPLYING, VERIFY YOU:
1) Will be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student. You must be a rising Junior or Senior as of June 2023.
2) Attend college in Boston, or live within the boundary established by Route 128 (also known as the 95 loop).
3) Have an Expected Family Contribution of less than $5000. This number is on your FAFSA form, to see what it looks like -- click here.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES:
1) To apply to a position, please click here and fill out the eligibility application form.
2) Once your eligibility application is reviewed and approved, Studio Institute will send you an email confirming your eligibility for the program. Note: once you're verified as eligible for Arts Intern, you can apply to as many positions as you'd like. You do not have to submit the eligibility application more than once.
3) You will forward this confirmation email, along with your CV, cover letter, and transcript to the email below these instructions with the subject "Arts Intern Summer 2023 Approved Application".
Contact | artsintern@studioinstitute.org