McDermott Intern for Arts of the Americas at The Dallas Museum of Art

The DMA will:

• Place art and our diverse communities at the center around which all activities radiate.
• Pursue excellence in collecting and programming, present works of art across cultures and time, and be a driving force in contemporary art.
• Strengthen our position as a prominent, innovative institution, expanding the meaning and possibilities of learning and creativity.

Scope of Position

The intern will complete extensive research related to the Arts of the Americas collection, assisting with exhibition preparation, acquisition proposals, and collection management. The intern will draft didactic texts and review interpretive material for use in gallery and online, and compile documentation on works in the Museum’s permanent collection, including provenance research and research on cultural connections to descendant communities. The intern will support curatorial projects by attending interdepartmental meetings and working collaboratively with staff across the Museum. The intern will support ongoing departmental projects including a collection catalogue, an interactive gallery space, and a reinstallation of the collection galleries.

Internship Goals

• Expand art historical object-based research skills, including the use of TMS collections database software
• Gain experience with writing in a museum context, including didactic texts, labels, acquisition proposals, and publications
• Understand the museum exhibitions process from research to logistics to installation
• Develop professional communication and interpersonal skills through collaboration with museum colleagues
• Understand the relationship between all the departments within the Dallas Museum of Art and how they function together to comprise the organization

• Completion of at least an undergraduate degree in archaeology, art history, or a related field prior to the start of the internship in August 2021
• Knowledge about or interest in one or more of the following areas is desirable: ancient or contemporary Indigenous textiles; pottery of the American Southwest; the arts of the Isthmo-Colombian or Andean regions
• Demonstrated research and writing skills
• Ability to juggle multiple assignments
• Ability to work successfully within deadlines

Application Process

McDermott Internship Program applications must include all of the below items in order to be complete. Please ensure you have reviewed the list below closely and all files are included with your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered and late materials will not be accepted.

Upload and attach your resume, personal statement cover letter, writing sample, and transcripts in your application form, as specified below. Please direct two references to submit a letter of recommendation through the McDermott Internship Recommendation Form. All items must be received no later than March 26, 2021. 

Please save the files with your last name and document type in the title: e.g. Smith_Cover Letter.

Resume or CV

Submit in application under Select Resume to Upload

Personal Statement Cover Letter

A detailed one to two page statement explaining your interest in an art museum career. Include information regarding your personal learning expectations for the internship; any prior museum experience; and any art and art history related experience.

Submit in application under Upload Cover Letter

Writing Sample

No more than one page of text that provides an example of your writing within an academic context.

Submit in application under Upload Additional Files

Transcripts

Transcripts of courses from institutions of higher education where a degree has been or is in the process of being awarded are required. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

Submit in application under Upload Additional Files

Two Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation must be submitted directly by your recommenders. One of these letters must be from an academic reference.

Recommenders submit through the McDermott Internship Recommendation Form

The Dallas Museum of Art is committed to building a culturally diverse staff and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The DMA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.