Curatorial Internships

The curatorial division will offer two internships in 2026:

1. African Art: work with the curator to support research and development of an exhibition about textiles from central Africa.
2. Decorative Arts and Design: work with the associate curator to support early research for an exhibition about Italian design from approximately 1945 to 1975.

Curatorial guides the growth and display of the Museum’s permanent collection and organizes and generates temporary exhibitions and installations. Interns participate in the daily work of the department, including:

• Assisting with research and development for future exhibitions and conducting research on works in the Museum’s collection
• Developing research files, annotated bibliographies, and exhibition checklists

Qualifications:

• Be an advanced undergraduate or a graduate student
• Possess a demonstrated interest in art history and strong writing skills
• Have academic research experience related to one of the projects
• Reading knowledge of a language other than English is appreciated.

Application Process

To apply for the curatorial internship, please submit:

1. Cover letter indicating your professional goals and reasons for seeking this internship. Please describe aspects of your past academic and/or work experience that you feel are most relevant to this application and how they have prepared you to undertake the tasks associated with a curatorial internship.
2. Resumé or CV indicating academic background and work experience (volunteer and paid work)
3. Transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
4. Three References: name, title, affiliation, and full contact information; letters of reference are not required; at least two references must be a professor or academic advisor; one can be a personal or nonacademic professional reference
5. Language skills list specifying language(s) and reading, writing, and speaking levels of fluency
6. Academic writing sample, such as a research paper (minimum five pages in length, with source citations and bibliography)

Internship Details & Schedule

• Start date: June 8, 2026.
• Work schedule: Monday through Friday, 9 am–5 pm, averaging 37.5 hours per week.
• Internship length: concludes when intern completes 300 hours (not including holidays on June 19 and July 4); approximately eight weeks.
• Compensation: Interns will be paid in a three-part stipend: $1500 on the first day, $1500 at the midpoint, and $1500 at the conclusion of the program. The second and third payments will be prorated if the candidate does not complete the full eight-week program. This position is not eligible for benefits or holiday pay.
• Interns may work off-site some of the time with supervisor approval, not to exceed 40 percent of a given work week.

Please direct any questions to internships@slam.org.

The Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience, without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.