Exhibitions and Collections Intern, The Briscoe Center for American History
The Briscoe Center welcomes applications for semester-long Bridging Disciplines internships in exhibitions and collections management. For internships in summer and fall 2017, interns will contribute to the planning and development of exhibitions and displays drawing on multiple Briscoe Center collection areas, including Music & Performance and Civil Rights & Social Justice. There will also be opportunities to work with collections of fine art and material culture.
The internship would suit someone interested in museum studies who would like to gain hands-on experience with exhibition development and with general museum and/or archival work. Specific tasks will be tailored to an intern’s background, interests, and goals, and will depend on staff availability and need. Interns will assist staff with a variety of projects as well as manage project components independently. Interns will be based at the Briscoe Center’s Research and Collections Division for 160-180 hours per semester.
Example tasks include:
- creating and managing object checklists
- research using primary source materials
- planning for exhibit design and installation
- creating and compiling content for website or printed guides
- organizing exhibition text and label information
- assisting with installation and de-installation
- surveying and cataloging collection objects
Candidates should be:
- interested in history and in working with primary source materials
- interested in exhibition development
- able to juggle multiple projects simultaneously
- responsible and comfortable working independently
- able to organize and manage detailed information
- experienced with MS Word, Excel, Acrobat, google docs
- available during the center’s working hours: M-F, 9-5
- although training will be provided, some prior experience with museum and archival collections is helpful
To apply: applicants should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Sarah Sonner, Assistant Director for Exhibits Curation: s.sonner@austin.utexas.edu.
Application deadlines: for the summer semester, please apply by May 10. For the fall semester, please apply by August 10.
About the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History:
Our mission is to increase knowledge and foster exploration of our nation’s past through collecting, preserving, and making available documentary and material culture evidence encompassing key themes in Texas and U.S. history. Our recently renovated and expanded exhibition galleries and reading room provide spaces for students, researchers, and the public to explore our collections. Our diverse collections inspire projects including books, exhibitions, programs, films, and educational materials. The Briscoe Center is an organized research unit and public service component of The University of Texas at Austin. For more information, see www.briscoecenter.org