Art Bridges Summer 2026 Traveling Exhibitions Internship

About Art Bridges

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Since 2017, Art Bridges has created and supported projects that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 200 museums of all sizes and locations on nearly 900 projects—impacting more than 5.3 million people across 49 states and Puerto Rico—to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection and Partner Loan Network, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.  

Required Documents to Apply:

Please provide your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the Art Bridges Internship Program. You are also welcome to include a writing sample, though it is not required.

Job Description:

The Art Bridges Internship Program and Summer Residency

Since its launch in 2020, the Art Bridges Internship Program has hosted over 80 students and emerging arts professionals from across the country in positions throughout the foundation. Our Internship Program is committed to providing a wide array of professional development opportunities to individuals with any level of experience or exposure to working in the arts, nonprofits, or philanthropic organizations.

The Art Bridges Internship Program Summer Residency is an eight-week opportunity for interns to gain hands-on experience on-site at the Art Bridges office. Summer interns will live and work full time in Bentonville, Arkansas, for the duration of their residency with travel cost coverage, housing, bikes, and additional benefits provided by Art Bridges. Summer interns will participate in a wide range of events, such as cultural site visits, guest lectures, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities (please see “Residency Inclusions and Events” for further details). Our intern events prioritize the incorporation of interns into Art Bridges’ work culture at all possible levels and emphasize themes of professional development, personal growth, and peer collaboration, which summer interns will experience fully over the course of their residency.

Job Description

Position: Art Bridges Summer 2026 Traveling Exhibitions Intern

Position Type: Paid internship, in addition to travel and housing support

In-person, full-time (35 hours per week) position in Bentonville, Arkansas, for eight weeks (June 8-July 31, 2026)

Number of Available Positions: 1

Timeline: Applications are due by January 8, 2026, but may close earlier if capacity is reached. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interns will be selected by late March and will start on June 8, 2026.

About the Position

The Art Bridges Internship Program seeks twelve interns for the summer of 2026. Candidates are encouraged to apply for multiple roles with different departments based on their areas of interest. 

Traveling Exhibitions Department Overview:

• Engages with museums of many sizes to develop and travel exhibitions drawn from a single institution’s collection, supporting the creation, preparation, and presentation of traveling exhibitions with lending and borrowing partners across the country. 
• Intern projects may include:

• Supporting the organization and management of exhibition checklists and loan requests within the collections database.
• Assisting with loan requests and tracking.
• Developing systems to streamline documentation and track exhibition proposals.
• Assisting with data entry, organization, and process improvement for exhibition and loan management.

Summer Residency Inclusions and Events

• Paid and eligible for course credits
• Travel and housing supported by Art Bridges
• Free rental bikes for the summer upon request
• Site visits to regional cultural institutions
  • Past trips include Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Momentary, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE), and a day in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to visit the Philbrook Museum of Art, Greenwood Rising, and the Gathering Place.
• Participation in the Art Bridges Creative Career Chats (in person or virtual)
  • Past guests include Robert Peterson (contemporary artist); Jason Herrick (Chief Philanthropy Officer, The M