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AAMD Intern

Position: AAMD Intern - Taft Museum of Art

Reports to: Sallie Robinson Wadsworth Director of Curatorial Affairs
Team: Curatorial & Collections
Status: Full or Part-time Internship, Hourly, Non-Exempt.
Shifts: Flexible with supervisor approval based upon a minimum of 420 hours worked on the project during 2024.
Stipend: $6720 for the internship, equivalent to an hourly rate of $16.

Benefits: Opportunity to attend professional development workshops or conferences, free downtown parking, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), museum membership, and other exclusive discounts.

SUMMARY:
The Taft Museum of Art is committed to encouraging undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue art museum careers. Thanks to a generous grant from the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), in 2024 the Taft will host an intern to provide opportunities for work and career development in the Curatorial and Collections field. The Taft’s Sallie Robinson Wadsworth Director of Curatorial Affairs will act as the intern’s supervisor and mentor, directing the intern’s activities and providing overall counsel on their professional development. Like AAMD, the Taft’s goal is to foster a future art museum profession that is more inclusive, creative, and representative.

The Taft and AAMD recognize that the financial resources available to some students may limit access to career development. For that reason, this internship is paid to make it more equitable.
Enjoy this rare internship opportunity in one of the finest small art museums in the United States.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please submit a cover letter, resume, three references, and a writing sample through our online portal at taftmuseum.org/Careers. Our team will review your information, and we will get back to you with the next steps. If you have questions, please email Human Resources at HRAdm@taftmuseum.org. No phone calls, please.

AAMD INTERNSHIP GUIDELINES:

Interns must be in their undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior year.
Interns must identify with an underrepresented background in the art museum field.
Interns must complete 420 hours of work by the end of the 2024 calendar year. Interns may work full-time (35 hours per week) or part-time (15-20 hours per week), Monday-Friday. *Items in parathesis are Taft requirements.
A member of the institution's senior leadership team, in this case the Taft’s Sallie Robinson Wadsworth’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, must serve as the intern’s point of contact and mentor. Mentors are strongly encouraged to work closely with their intern and to establish a weekly meeting to ensure opportunity for conversation, feedback, direction, and questions.
Each intern must be assigned to work on a defined project, in addition to other departmental activities, so that they will see a culmination of their work at the end of the internship.
Each intern may attend a professional development opportunity of his/her/their choice. Options for professional gatherings can include but are not limited to the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Association of African American Museums (AAAM), and the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG) conferences. Other professional development opportunities will be considered with prior notice.
Each institution will be required to submit a written report at the end of the internship assessing the program, the goals, and the outcomes as well as offering a performance review of the intern.
The intern will also be required to submit a written report summarizing the activities and results of the internship.

THE WORK:

The AAMD intern will be a member of the Taft’s Curatorial and Collections department and will join the team organizing the major traveling exhibition on the nineteenth-century African American painter Robert S. Duncanson, scheduled to open at the Taft in October 2027. A centerpiece of the Taft’s important painting collection is the set of eight landscape murals Duncanson painted for then resident Nicholas Longworth between 1850 and 1852, which are the only such murals painted by the artist and one of the most significant sets of pre-Civil War domestic murals in the United States. Consequently, the institution has a special interest in Duncanson; his legacy is embedded within the Taft’s exhibitions and programs such as the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence, which commemorates its 40th anniversary in 2026. This exhibition the following year will reassess the place of this important artist in nineteenth-century American history, commemorating the 175th anniversary of his murals’ completion.

The AAMD intern will provide key research support for the Duncanson show, focusing on finding and organizing written sources on the artist dating from his rise to fame in the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. The many online databases of digitized publications, such as newspapers.com, that did not exist when the last major show on the artist was done in 1995–1996, will enable the intern to locate primary sources that researchers have not found before. In addition, the intern will search the undigitized resources available in Cincinnati institutions such as the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, Cincinnati History Library and Archives at the Cincinnati Museum Center, and Cincinnati Art Museum. The body of research built by the intern will not only be a crucial resource for the team working on the exhibition, it will also be useful at the Taft after the show closes, as the museum continues to be a center for Duncanson scholarship in the years to come.

CORE REPONSIBILITIES:  

Provides key research support for the Robert S. Duncanson exhibition.
Finds and organizes written sources on the artist dating from his rise to fame in the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, accessing both digitized and undigitized sources available in the Cincinnati area.
Works collaboratively with the Curatorial & Collections Team.
Participates with the Director of Curatorial Affairs in regular one-on- one meetings to check progress, seek feedback, answer questions, and review accessed resources to ensure a full survey is being conducted.
Conducts a final presentation of the research to the Duncanson exhibition team, communicating any remaining questions through this debriefing and a written report detailing which resources have been surveyed and which remain to be investigated.
Assists with administrative tasks as needed, and performs other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Must be eligible for and receive permission through their college or university for an internship in Curatorial & Collections.
Must be enrolled as a half-time (minimum) or full-time student in an accredited college or university, studying art history or a related field.
Must identify with an underrepresented background in the art museum field.
Must be available to work 15-35 hours per week. Scheduling flexibility is available within 9am-5pm shifts Mondays-Fridays.
Must speak English and be an effective verbal and written communicator.
Capacity to work in a fast-paced, multitasked environment, deal with changing priorities, and work well under pressure.
Able to pass a background check, including criminal records check and credit check.
Must be authorized to work in the United States
Must provide own transportation.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Able to work independently and as part of a team.
Must be organized, meticulous, and possess exceptional research and writing skills.
Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Outlook and Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) and the ability to learn new software and handling of pre-digital formats such as microfiche and microfilm is required. Familiarity with online platforms such as Zoom, Vimeo, and Microsoft Teams.

MUSEUM CORE VALUES:

All employees of the museum must strive to:

Embrace the museum's core values of respect, integrity, excellence, creativity, and collaboration and demonstrate this understanding through words, behaviors, and interactions with our guests, staff members, volunteers, and the public.
Learn and teach every day. Share knowledge freely with colleagues and pursue opportunities to gain new skills to enhance our success as a team.
Appreciate, understand, and value each staff member’s expertise, background, experience, strengths, and unique perspective. Share time, energy, and knowledge with others to ensure everyone has the highest potential to succeed.
Achieve excellence in all tasks and goals.
Demonstrate professionalism on and off the job and always represent the Taft Museum of Art positively and professionally. Speak truthfully and fulfill promises and obligations in all museum dealings.
Be comfortable and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds.
Adhere to all current museum policies, procedures, protocols, and processes.
Create a pleasant work environment by being a positive influence and respectful to every person.

The success of the Taft Museum of Art is driven by our core values of respect, integrity, excellence, creativity, and collaboration, as exemplified by our team members. 

Our VIEW: 

Value diversity, equity, access, and inclusion are drivers for attracting and retaining a diverse team of board members, staff, and volunteers who feel empowered to deliver excellence.  It also is the key to reaching a diverse community and audience. 
Include multiple perspectives and believe that differing views strengthen our museum by stretching us to learn, experience, and expand our thinking each day. 
Embrace our mission and vision to explore the hidden gems connected to our historic house, the people that lived in it for the first 100 years, and the extensive art collection, bringing all of this to life and making it relevant and unique to each guest. 
Work together as a board and staff to ensure that our members, partners, and key stakeholders reflect and embrace these core values.