Interns are an integral part of the Museum’s community, helping staff and visitors in many ways.
As part of its longstanding education program, the Museum’s internship program aims to give interns real-world experience and insight so that their transition from student to professional is supported, informed, and encouraged. This goal is achieved by:
- Providing current undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates (within one year of graduation) and high-school students, opportunities to collaborate with Museum staff on projects related to the arts, arts education, and arts administration
- Introducing interns to the broad spectrum of museum work and to Museum staff, departments, programs, and operations
Interns are an integral part of the Museum’s community, helping staff and visitors in many ways. In addition, the Museum seeks to reach underserved populations that have limited access to arts and professional-development opportunities in the arts.
Internships are offered during the summer, spring, and fall semesters, and during the academic year. Internships are available most semesters in select departments of the Museum—Communications, Curatorial, Learning & Engagement, Visitor Services—and occasionally for special projects. Please see our openings below for specific information about upcoming semesters.
In addition to interning under the guidance of staff on projects that support individual departments in the Museum, summer interns participate in a robust professional development program during the months of June and July. Weekly Lunch & Learns are scheduled with each Museum department, giving interns an opportunity to explore the range of museum work, to meet and network with current museum professionals, to get useful advice for putting classroom knowledge into practice, and to develop interviewing and networking skills. Complementary weekly field trips may include an Urban Trail walking tour, artists’ studio visits, behind-the-scenes tours of local museums/cultural institutions, and other networking opportunities.
The Museum offers both paid and volunteer internships (see individual internship descriptions). The Museum regularly coordinates with schools, colleges, and universities to ensure academic credit is received by current students.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted through the Museum’s online Internship Program Application portal only. Click on the “Apply Now” button below to access the portal. The application takes about 15–20 minutes to complete. There is no way to save your work and return so review the application checklist below to ensure you have all information ready that you need. Make sure to press “Submit” on the last page before exiting and closing your browser. Incomplete applications will not be considered. For more information, click here to email us.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
- Information about any diplomas you have completed and/or currently pursuing, including school name, major/minor fields, and dates attended.
- Current resume/CV indicating education and employment history (including place of employment, job title, dates of employment, and main duties). You may also include extracurricular activities that you are/were involved in during your time as a student, volunteer experience, and/or and interests. Save and upload as a PDF, DOC, or JPG.
- A 1–2 page letter indicating why you are applying for an internship at the Asheville Art Museum, your specific interest in and/or skills related to each internship(s) for which you are applying, and what you hope to contribute during your internship. Save and upload as a PDF, DOC, or JPG.
- A 3–5 page paper from a class related to the internship(s) for which you are applying. Save and upload as a PDF, DOC, or JPG.
- Unofficial transcripts from each college or university attended. Save and upload as a PDF (preferred) or JPG.
- If you are, or may be, pursuing credit for the internship, information from your institution outlining hours/assignments/evaluations needed, and any other required materials/information for you to earn credit. Save and upload as a PDF (preferred) or JPG.
REFERENCES
In addition, each application requires two Internship Program Reference forms from professional, educational, or character references in support of your application. These forms should be submitted by the reference directly to the Museum; it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that completed forms are submitted to the Museum by the appropriate application deadline.
Priority Application Deadlines
Summer session: March 1
Fall semester or academic year: July 1
Spring semester: January 1
Applications received after these dates may be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
2023 Internships
The priority application deadline for Spring 2023 internships is January 1. The deadline for Summer 2023 internships is March 1. Spring internships typically take place from late January or early February to May depending on academic calendars and last approximately 160 hours unless otherwise noted. More hours may be arranged for students pursuing academic credit. While some tasks may be completed remotely, the majority of hours will be completed in-person.
Learning and Engagement
The Learning & Engagement Department provides a roster of learning opportunities for school-age, children, family, and adult audiences. Internships with the Learning & Engagement Department offer students majoring in art history, art education, museum studies, studio art, and other related fields of study, opportunities to learn museum education best practices and develop understanding of programming development in a museum setting.
Learning & Engagement interns work closely with L&E staff who act as mentors and model skills such as interacting with various age groups and diverse audiences. Interns assist with the development of exhibition-related art projects intended for a range of age groups and support the Museum’s Summer Art Camp teachers with class management and facilitating art activities. Interns will also assist with administrative tasks in the Learning & Engagement Department and help staff implement programming for children, family, and adult audiences. Interns should be professional, friendly, motivated, creative, and maintain a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards learners of all ages. Familiarity with a variety of art materials is a plus.
Interns receive a stipend to offset moving, parking, transportation, and/or other expenses associated with the internship.
Curatorial — Collections Management
The Curatorial team performs ongoing research into the Museum’s growing Collection of 20th- and 21st-century American art. Under the supervision of the Curatorial and Registration staff, interns assist with the documentation and care of the Museum’s Collection. In addition to standard collections-management tasks such as condition-reporting, record-keeping, art-handling, and inventorying, interns assist with a specialized project focused on in-depth research into the 1000+ artists represented in the Collection. The project includes expanding information on copyright status, artist contact and representation, and artist biographical information; working extensively with accession files; and updating the Museum’s collections-management database, EmbARK. The intern also has the opportunity to contribute research towards the Museum’s publicly searchable online database, WebKiosk, with a particular focus on updated artist biographies.
This opportunity is excellent for college-level students interested in a museum career to develop their skills in database management, museum record-keeping, art-handling, condition-reporting, and inventory procedures. Interns should be self-motivated, organized, and detail-oriented, with good computer skills and a knack for precision. This internship is unpaid.
External Affairs Department
The External Affairs Department seeks an intern to engage in marketing/fundraising support for the Museum’s educational programming, exhibitions, and operations. The External Affairs intern will gain valuable professional experience by working alongside staff in the External Affairs Department on projects that help the Museum reach diverse audiences and donors. This internship is unpaid. Click here for more information
