Paid Internship Opportunity: 12-month Curatorial Internship in Textiles at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
A curatorial internship with Colonial Williamsburg provides the opportunity to assist with research, management, interpretation and preservation of the Foundation’s fine art, decorative arts, archaeological, architectural and/or folk art collections, while gaining professional experience through hands-on training. It is a prearranged learning experience, either paid or unpaid, for students interested in a career in a decorative arts, fine arts, history museum, or historic site.
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
Assists with the research, management, interpretation and preservation of Colonial Williamsburg’s textiles collections while gaining professional experience with hands-on training.
This is a 12-month temporary internship. For 2019, the year-long intern will work on textiles from the decorative arts collection. This position is Benefits Eligible.
Applications will be accepted through Wednesday May 22nd, 2019.
WORK TO BE PERFORMED:
- Learns methods of proper documentation of objects in the collection to include developing appropriate data for the creation of full catalog records in The Museum System (TMS) database, as well as paper files.
- Assists curator with research, object selections, exhibition planning, and object rotations in the DeWitt Wallace Wallace Decorative Arts Museum (DWM), Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum (AARFAM), and furnishings installations in the Historic Area.
- Gains and enhances knowledge of proper storage techniques of selected fine art, decorative arts, and folk art collections.
- Plans for and assists with the movement of antique items throughout the Foundation to ensure proper storage, study, exhibition, and preservation.
- Interacts with Conservation Department staff to ensure proper care of artifacts within assigned specialty to learn basic conservation principles.
- Assists with routine research requests, file maintenance, and Historic Area needs and requests.
- Enhances knowledge in specific areas of curatorial responsibility, as well as general American history and material culture through reading, research, and participation in bi-weekly accessions meetings with Colonial Williamsburg staff.
- Assists with expanding the biographical information and genealogical data on makers and owners as needed.
- Perform other related duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Received an undergraduate degree no more than one year prior to the application deadline or be currently enrolled in a graduate program. Completed course work in art history, museum studies, decorative arts, history or closely related field. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and strong organization and interpersonal skills. Research experience generally gained through completion of a thesis or semester-long project.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Strong desire to pursue museum career; experience working with a similar museum collection and with curatorial cataloguing systems; understanding of genealogical research databases. Coursework in women’s studies a plus.
HOW TO APPLY:
Applications must be submitted through the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation jobs website to be considered.
Please upload the following attachments:
- Two letters of recommendation (or if it is preferred, you or your professor may email the recommendation(s) to Virginia Foster, VFoster@cwf.org.
- Unofficial academic transcript
- Curriculum Vita or resume
- Statement of Intent. In no more than 250 words, state how an internship at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation would benefit you and/or your course of study.
PDF, DOC, DOCX and RTF formats only please. Applications submitted without these requirements will not be considered.
Applicants will be notified via e-mail of final decisions by early March.