Cleveland Museum of Art Internship in Research and Evaluation

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Research & Evaluation department supports an audience-centered, data-informed approach across the institution by developing and delivering audience research and evaluation projects related to the museum’s current and desired audiences.  Research & Evaluation seeks an Evaluation Intern for Summer 2024 to assess visitor experiences with the museum’s community voice labels.  Through this project, the intern will experience the entire visitor studies process at CMA, from project design to data collection, data entry, analysis, and reporting.  This internship will offer experiences both in visitor-facing and analysis roles – activities may include designing and collecting surveys, interviews, observations, and quantitative or qualitative data analysis and visualization, as well as experiencing organization meetings and processes.

In addition to completing the community voice label evaluation, the internship will also offer opportunities to participate in and experience other evaluation projects and institutional activities. 

Strong communication and writing skills, friendly personalities, the ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and curious demeanors are essential, as are a desire to solve problems, interpret information, and interact with both the public and other departments at the museum. This internship provides an opportunity to apply a student’s existing academic knowledge of evaluation or visitor studies practices to real-world projects.

This internship will mainly occur on weekdays between 9am and 5pm but will require some availability on weekends or evenings.

The primary deliverable for this internship will be an evaluation report on visitor experiences of community voice labels.  To produce this report, the intern will experience an evaluation project from concept to reporting, including instrument design, data collection, entry, analysis and visualization, and reporting and presenting.  The intern will likely also assist in other department projects throughout the summer and attend a variety of meetings to experience the role of Research & Evaluation at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Since Research & Evaluation works with so many other departments at the museum, interns have the unique experience to learn more about many types of museum careers.  Interns will gain practical experience in data collection and analysis methods, have opportunities to improve their communication, reporting, and presentation skills, and learn how visitor studies affects change in art museums.  Through their projects, interns routinely establish greater competency in Excel and PowerPoint, learn to better interpret and communicate their research and findings (academically and professionally), and experience the interdepartmental work of museum careers.  Ideally, this internship offers a student already learning about evaluation or visitor studies with practical experience of those skills.

Cohort Building at the Cleveland Museum of Art  

The summer internship program at the Cleveland Museum of Art offers wholistic professional experiences that provide students opportunities to develop as both professionals and well-rounded individuals. As such, interns at the Cleveland Museum of Art will participate in the Summer on the Cuyahoga Pick 10 program, which offers access to a variety of events throughout Cleveland that give students opportunities to meet and socialize with other interns outside of the museum.   

Eligibility 

To apply, applicant must:

• Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program
• Candidates from underserved populations, which may include Latinx, BIPOC, first generation college students, and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply

Additional Requirements and Application Materials

• Applicants can be pursuing a degree in a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to: Museum Studies, Program Evaluation, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Marketing, Business, Communications, Education, Data Science and Analytics, Statistics, Art, Art History, and History
• Applicants should submit a cover letter and a resume/CV. They will be asked for 1-2 professional/academic references with contact information if invited to interview for the internship.

Application deadline: March 8th, 2024

The pay rate for this internship is $20/hr., maximum 35 hrs./week for 8-10 weeks depending on candidate availability. This internship also offers a $2,500 housing/travel allowance for candidates living outside of Northeast Ohio.

Anticipated start date: June 3rd, 2024