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. Interns will volunteer their time (without stipend) for nine-week internships that coincide with school semesters and summer break (dates may be flexible – inquire with application). Applicants seeking course credit may discuss requirements with staff and make necessary arrangements through their college/university prior to the start of the internship. See below for internship information and application deadlines.
Application Deadlines
Winter/Spring 2019 Internship: February 25 to April 26
Deadline: November 15, 2018 (extended to December 3 for Collections Management, Curatorial, and Education); Notification: December 15, 2018
Summer 2019 Internship: June 3 to August 2
Deadline: March 1, 2019; Notification: April 1, 2019
Fall 2019 Internship: September 16 to November 15
Deadline: July 1, 2019; Notification: August 1, 2019
Internship Opportunities
Collections Management Intern
The Registrar’s Office manages the art and artifact collection by maintaining records, supervising storage and arranging packing, shipping and insurance for loans to and from the museum. This internship is an opportunity to learn about cataloguing, inventories, storage, data entry, image management and exhibition installation. The intern will work with the registrars and preparator. An art history, museum studies, or studio art background is required; excellent organizational skills and basic computer literacy is essential.
Curatorial Intern
The curatorial intern will assist the Museum’s curators as they conduct research on the collections, 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 assisting with the design and implementation of programs for children and adults, preparing educational materials, and installing student exhibitions. 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.
To apply for an internship, submit the documents listed below to internships@brandywine.org. For more information, please call the education office at 610-388-8120.
- A cover letter stating what the applicant hopes to gain from the internship (including course credit, if applicable)
- A résumé including a list of relevant coursework