Have you ever wondered what takes place beyond the galleries at a museum? The National Museum of Women in the Arts’ mission to discover, document, and celebrate the achievements of women in the arts requires a great deal of work. In addition to exhibitions, NMWA conducts education programs, houses a unique library and archives, and publishes a magazine and exhibition catalogues. If you would like some first-hand experience in day-to-day museum operations, consider applying for an internship at NMWA.
They offer internships, 10-12 weeks in length, to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates. An internship at NMWA gives you the chance to work on a one-to-one basis with museum professionals. It is also a great way to meet other interns with similar academic interests and to discover career options. Former NMWA interns have found jobs at many of the leading museums throughout the country. An internship makes good professional sense, too, because colleges and universities frequently require this type of hands-on training as a prerequisite for earning degrees, and potential employers are always interested in candidates who come to them with related experience.
In addition to an unbeatable work experience in an arts organization, NMWA offers a chance to learn about women artists in their college-level art history classes and through field trips to other cultural venues in Washington, D.C., that feature work by women artists. One of the distinctive benefits of an internship at NMWA is access to their Library and Research Center. The LRC houses one of the most extensive collections of materials about women artists in the world, providing a rare opportunity for primary research.
NMWA offers fall, spring, and summer internships in the following departments:
Accounting, Administration (Director’s Office and Founder’s Office), Development, Communications and Marketing, Curatorial, Education, Exhibition Design and Production, Information Technology, Library and Research Center, Member Services, National Programs, Publications, Registrar, Retail Operations, and Special Events. They encourage you to indicate which departments most interest you; however, internships at NMWA are very popular and you may not be assigned to your first choice.
Intern Info
Candidates for internships must have completed their sophomore year of undergraduate study, and have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Full-time and part-time (at least 2 ½ days or 20 hours per week) internships can be arranged.
Applications for the general, unpaid internship must include the following:
1. A cover letter, stating how the Internship Program will further personal and professional goals, the departments in which you are interested in working and how you learned about NMWA’s internship program.
2. Resume, including education and employment history, school and permanent addresses.
3. Most recent transcript.
4. One academic and one personal letter of recommendation.
5. Brief writing sample of 1-2 pages in length.
All applications must be postmarked by the following dates:
Summer: March 15
Fall: June 15
Spring: October 15
Please send completed applications in triplicate to the address below.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts offers one paid internship, the Coca-Cola Endowed Internship.
The Coca-Cola Endowed Internship is offered every fall, spring, and summer. This full-time, 12-week internship pays a $1,500 stipend. Candidates must be interested in pursuing museum careers; they must be undergraduates who have completed at least the sophomore year in college, graduate students, or recent graduates with a cumulative grade point average of 3.25.
Applications for the Coca-Cola internship must include the following:
1. A letter of purpose stating interest in the Coca-Cola internship, the top three or four departments in which you would prefer to work, how a NMWA internship will further personal and professional goals, and how you learned about NMWA’s internship program.
2. Resume, including education and employment history, school and permanent addresses.
3. Most recent transcript.
4. One academic and one personal letter of recommendation.
5. Brief writing sample of 1-2 pages in length.
Deadlines
All applications must be postmarked by the following dates:
Summer: March 15
Fall: June 15
Spring: October 15
Please send completed applications in triplicate to the address below.
Contact: National Museum of Women in the Arts
Manager of Public Programs
Education Department
1250 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-783-7982
Website: http://www.nmwa.org/about/volunteer_interns.asp