The Brandywine River Museum of Art seeks undergraduate or graduate students with an interest in American art and the Brandywine Valley’s arts and cultural community for experiential learning opportunities. Interns will gain an in-depth understanding of specific areas of museum work by participating in departmental activities and projects under the supervision of mentoring education, curatorial, and registration staff. Through practical museum training, departmental tours, off-site field trips, and networking opportunities interns will prepare for careers in museum fields. Stipends are available and are determined by length and schedule of internship. Applicants seeking course credit may discuss requirements with staff and make necessary arrangements through their college/university prior to the start of the internship. Brandywine is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and encourages BIPOC students and others who are underrepresented in the cultural sector to apply. See below for internship information and application deadlines.
Application Deadlines
Please check back for future application periods.
Internship Opportunities
Collections Management Intern
The Registrar’s Office manages the fine art and artifact collection by maintaining records, inventorying the collection, condition reporting, supervising storage and arranging packing, shipping and insurance for loans to and from the museum. This internship is an opportunity to assist the registrars and preparators with cataloguing, inventories, storage, data entry, image management and exhibition installation. Interns will develop essential museum skills in database management, condition reporting, and inventory procedures. An art history, museum studies, or studio art background is required; excellent organizational skills and basic computer literacy is essential.
Curatorial Intern
The Museum’s curatorial internship offers the opportunity for a student to learn about exhibition development in its various phases. The curatorial intern will assist the Museum’s curators as they conduct research on the collection, organize future exhibitions, and develop essays for catalogues and other publications. This internship is an opportunity to learn about exhibition development, research methods, curatorial record keeping, and writing didactic texts. The intern will work directly with the curators, performing tasks critical to the department’s advancement. An art history background, with particular strength in American art, is required as are excellent writing and research skills
Education Intern
The Education Office engages visitors of all ages with the museum’s collection and special exhibitions through programs and interpretive materials. This internship is an opportunity to learn about museum education by working alongside education staff to assist with the design and implementation of programs for children and adults that highlight Brandywine’s permanent collection and special exhibitions, engage visitors through leading activities and tours, and preparing educational materials. The intern will work with the Dean of Education and Public Programs and the education staff. An art history, art education or studio art background is preferred.
Research Center Intern
The Walter and Lenore Annenberg Research Center houses the museum’s reference library and special collections that support the research of the art collection. This internship is an opportunity to learn about management for the art library through projects such as cataloguing and database record entry, inventory and manuscript organization, preparing finding aids, and preservation methods and materials. The intern will work with the Manager of the Research Center. A background in art history and/or library science is preferred. Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, as well as strong research, writing and communication skills are required. [Shape]
To apply for an internship during a recruiting period (check back for future opportunities), submit the documents listed below to [email protected], indicating which internship you are applying for. For more information, please call the education office at 610-388-8120.
- A cover letter describing the experience you hope to gain from this internship (including course credit, if applicable) as well as how your unique perspective and experience would contribute to Brandywine's mission
- A resume including a list of relevant coursework
Support for the 2021 Brandywine Internship program is provided by Yaverland Foundation, PECO, and Herbert and Romona Benson.
