IFPDA Curatorial Intern, Prints & Drawings at the Museum of Fine Art Houston

Job Title: Intern

Job Status: 15 hours/week, Sept 6 – Dec 2, 2022

Location: Houston, TX

Project Overview: 

  • This opportunity, funded by the IFPDA Foundation, recognizes the importance of early career exposure to prints and printmaking to cultivating the next generation of scholars and curators in the field of fine prints. The Department of Prints & Drawings is offering the intern/fellow the prospect of assisting the Curator of Prints & Drawings with developing themes and researching modern and contemporary prints for upcoming installations in the museum’s Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. The intern/fellow will also contribute to the interpretive materials for these object-based installations.
  • The intern will help research prints for inclusion in the American and European art galleries in the museum’s Audrey Jones Beck Building, both of which have recently begun integrating works on paper into their permanent displays.
  • The intern will conduct provenance research on objects in the Department to update entries in TMS and curatorial files.
  • The intern will also assist in all aspects of department operations. The Intern will participate in various stages of exhibitions planning including creating checklists, conducting research, writing and editing didactic material, participating in design and installation, and generating original content for social media. The intern will also do independent research about works on paper in the Department of Prints & Drawings; assist in maintaining the department’s object and artist files; update information on the Department’s page on the MFAH web site; and update information about works on paper that will be visible on the museum’s online catalogue.

Learning Goals and Objectives: 

  • This internship will provide invaluable practical experience to an individual interested in a career at an art museum, including training in art historical research and writing; identifying print and drawing techniques; gaining wide knowledge across the field of print history; learning art handling and storage procedures, and becoming proficient in The Museum System (TMS), a collection management database. The intern will work in the MFAH’s Works on Paper Study Center, the only facility of its kind in the American Southwest, and will work closely with the center’s staff.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities: 

  • Strong research, organization, and multitasking skills
  • Computer literate, with working knowledge of Microsoft Office
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Pleasant, professional manner when interacting with staff and the public (as necessary)
  • Interest in or experience with works on paper preferred
  • Reading knowledge of a foreign language (French, German, Italian or Spanish) preferred

Education and Eligibility 

  • Student currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program or who recently (within one year) completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Art History (strongly preferred) or a related discipline are eligible for this opportunity.

Anticipated Schedule: 

  • This part-time internship will comprise 200 hours spread over 13 weeks, with the intern working an average of 15 hours per week. The anticipated term is Tuesday, Sept. 6, through Friday, December 2, but adjustments may be considered to fit the intern’s schedule.
  • On-site working hours will be determined by the intern and Dr. Woodall based on the department’s schedule and the intern’s weekly availability.

Internship/Fellowship Stipend: 

  • The intern will be paid an hourly salary of $15, generously funded by a $3,000 stipend from the IFPDA.

Application Instructions and Deadline: 

Please submit the following materials to interns@mfah.org by Friday, August 19, 2022.

  • Letter of interest describing your experience and professional goals as relevant to this opportunity (maximum 1000 words)
  • Résumé/CV
  • Additional materials requested
    • Writing sample (10-page limit)

 When submitting application materials, please include the name of the internship or fellowship in the subject line of your email.

Notification

Notifications will be sent out on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022. Only applicants who are selected for an interview will be contacted. 

About the MFAH 

The MFAH is an organization comprised of 600+ employees and 1,000+ docents and volunteers. The museum is more than 100 years old and ranks nationally among the top 10 art museums in exhibition space, memberships, endowments, and attendance, with 1M visitors annually. Our multifaceted institution includes multiple gallery buildings, a sculpture garden, two art schools, and two house museums for decorative arts. The encyclopedic collection numbers more than 70,000 works of art in a wide range of media.  

Houston stands among America’s largest cities by population and area, is incredibly diverse racially and ethnically, and is an economic powerhouse with a very strong arts ecosystem that attracts over 7 million visitors alone to the Museum District where MFAH is centered.

Equal Opportunities for All 

At the MFAH, we believe that diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusivity are fundamental to our organization. We welcome all candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our organization and our pledge for workplace diversity, inclusion, and excellence.  

Our commitment to our policy and practice of nondiscrimination represents more than good intentions. It provides for employment decisions that are made without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law or any other reason unrelated to your ability to join and contribute to our organization and support our mission to provide a museum experience for all.  

The MFAH is equally committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals interested in employment with the organization. As part of this commitment, we want to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation needed to 1) participate in the job application or 2) interview process; 3) perform essential job functions; and/or 4) participate in the benefits and privileges of employment with the MFAH. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the human resources department – HR@mfah.org 

APPLY HERE