McMullan Arts Leadership Internship, Photography and Media

McMullan Arts Leadership Internship, Photography and Media (Academic Year 2024-2025)

 

MISSION

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.

 

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Art Institute of Chicago’s department of Photography and Media seeks an enthusiastic and organized intern interested in collection management and curation. The intern will learn about the Art Institute’s collection by assisting the department’s collection manager with cataloging and object research, and publishing original web-based content on objects in the collection. Through mentorship with the collection manager and curators in the department, the intern will gain insight into the work of a photography and media curator and museum careers more broadly. 

Spanning the history of photography from the 1830s to the present, the Art Institute's Photography and Media collection holds approximately 24,000 objects by celebrated practitioners from across the globe. Photographs have been exhibited regularly at the Art Institute of Chicago for well over a century; the museum’s photography collection originated in 1949, when Georgia O'Keeffe donated the Alfred Stieglitz Collection. That collection, along with the Julien Levy Collection, give the museum a core strength in early 20th-century photography from the United States and Western Europe. The department's collection also includes important groups of work by pioneer photographers of the 19th century, Japanese postwar photography, South African photography, work made in Chicago, and a range of contemporary art—making it wide-ranging in scope.

The intern will join a museum-wide intern cohort and have access to a range of programs to support their development in addition to their placement in Photography and Media. Mentorship is provided throughout the experience and connections with an intern alumni network will be established. 

 

Goals of the McMullan Arts Leadership Internship Program

The McMullan Arts Leadership internship program is part of a museum-wide effort to provide students the opportunity to gain experience, career awareness, networks, and skills that will position them to thrive as future art museum leaders. 

This program specifically aims to support students who encounter economic challenges when considering a career in the arts. Aligned with this goal, we aim to help shape a diverse group of leaders whose actions are informed by a wide range of perspectives, varying career paths, and values inspired by their own lived experiences. 

 

INTERNSHIP OUTCOMES:

• In this position, the intern will have the opportunity to: 
• Develop a foundational knowledge of the inner workings of a curatorial department and the work of a collection manager and curator;
• Develop a knowledge of current scholarship on photography and media;
• Engage and work with museum professionals in various fields and departments;
• Experience conducting collection and exhibition research;  
• Experience writing and publishing web-based content;
• Develop mentor relationships with field practitioners;
• Build peer-to-peer relationships with fellow interns.

 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist collection manager with research on objects in the collection
• Assist with research on forthcoming exhibitions and/or publishing projects
• Pursue independent research and develop web-based content for one or more collection objects
• Attend weekly check-ins with the position’s mentor: the department’s collection manager 
• Attend intern cohort professional development programs and museum practice seminars

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Undergraduate or graduate student; recent graduates (within one year of graduation) will also be considered
• Applicants must be based in the Chicagoland area for the summer and/or attending school in the Chicagoland area
• Major or focus in art history, media studies, cultural/visual studies, design, or arts administration; museum, institutional, or art world experience will also be considered
• A basic knowledge of photographic history and technique is preferred
• Familiarity with MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, and Google Suite
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently