Museum Studies

Hollywood Backdrop Collection

BDP Summer 2026 Student Opportunity

The Texas Performing Arts Fabrication Studios is home to the Hollywood Backdrop Collection—a rare archive of hand-painted, mid-century motion picture backdrops. As the collection is preserved and prepared for a national exhibition, this internship offers a unique opportunity to work directly with historically significant materials.

Position Overview

• Application/Letter of interest Due: May 4
• Acceptance Notification: May 8
• Dates: May 18 – August 10, 2026
• Commitment: 10–12.5 hours/week (150 hours total)
• Location: TPA Fabrication Studios (limited remote work possible)
• Credit: Must be enrolled in a course for credit
• Cohort: Maximum of 6 students

What You’ll Dos

• Create and manage object-level metadata using museum standards
• Write condition reports for each backdrop
• Document materials and stabilization methods for exhibition and travel
• Assist with website updates and digital cataloging
• Assign artifact numbers and record provenance
• Support safe handling, storage, and transport protocols
• Contribute to exhibition and touring preparation
• Work directly with large-scale painted backdrops (team lifting up to 50 lbs)

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience in museum collections care and documentation
• Training in cataloging, condition assessment, and preservation practices
• Insight into exhibition development and touring logistics
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration (Art & Art History, Anthropology, Media Studies, and more)

Program Impact

• Advances preservation and access to a nationally significant collection
• Establishes best practices for handling and transport
• Builds a sustainable student training model at UT Austin
• Prepares future leaders in museums and the arts

Structure & Tools

• Weekly Meeting: Mondays, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (PAC 3.108)
• Platforms: Trello, Slack, UT Box, Canvas
• Environment: Active scenic art and fabrication studio

Supervision

Students work under the guidance of Karen L. Maness
Associate Director, TPA Fabrication Studios
Professor of Practice, College of Fine Arts

Applications Due by May 4^th

Please send a letter of interest to Hollywood Backdrop Collection Director Karen Maness. Kmaness@texasperformingarts.org

Be part of preserving and activating Hollywood’s cinematic history.

Voltz Clarke Gallery Internship

About the Gallery Founded in 2002 in New York City, Voltz Clarke originally focused on private art advisory and curating international pop-up exhibitions. Expanding on its program in 2015, Voltz Clarke moved to a permanent gallery space on the Upper East Side and in 2020 moved to the Lower East Side- 195 Chrystie between Stanton and Rivington. The gallery maintains a roster of emerging and mid-career artists, focusing on introducing international artists to the New York and wider US market.

About the Internship

At Voltz Clarke Gallery, interns are highly valued members and play an active role in the gallery’s daily operations. This position offers a fantastic learning opportunity to gain a holistic understanding of how a contemporary art gallery functions, from artist management and exhibition planning to marketing, sales, and client relations. Interns are immersed in both the creative and business sides of the gallery, contributing to projects and gaining hands-on experience with the inner workings of the art market. This internship is ideal for students seeking to deepen their understanding of gallery management, curatorial processes, and professional communication in the art world. Course credit is available for eligible students.

Internship Dates

● Spring 2026

● Summer 2026

Interns will gain direct exposure to:

● Maintain a welcoming and professional gallery atmosphere

● Artist management and exhibition planning

● Marketing, press, and event coordination

● Art handling, client interaction, and daily gallery operations

Inventory & Online Platforms

● Upload and update artworks on Artsy for inventory

● Create online Viewing Rooms and exhibitions

● Edit and upload images via Photoshop and ArtPlacer

● Maintain digital files on the Google Drive

Keep gallery space organized and clean (sweeping, vacuuming, surfaces, trash, inventory restocks, etc.)

● Assist with 18th-century decorative arts inventory

Marketing & Communications

● Draft and format Evites, press releases, and social media posts

● Editorial outreach

● Add new contacts to the Squarespace mailing list

● Encourage visitors to join mailing list & update contacts

● Assist with public outreach and event collaboration opportunities

● Contribute to neighborhood, museum, and nonprofit research for artist partnerships

● Maintain LinkedIn

● Social media campaigns

● Reboot VCG TikTok account

Operations & Logistics

● Assist with packaging and inventory management

● Run errands such as delivering artworks or picking up materials

● Help organize exhibitions and gallery events

● Update artist CVs, press, and exhibitions on the website backend

● Stay active on internal email chains and confirm tasks with staff before final submission

● Greet visitors and introduce the exhibition checklist

● Help set up for events at the gallery

● Open and close the gallery when needed

Research & Special Projects

● Conduct artist research for upcoming exhibitions and potential collaborations

● Research commercial and residential properties for art placement opportunities

● Explore Lower East Side neighborhood institutions for partnership and outreach

● Research museum and nonprofit opportunities for Voltz Clarke artists

Qualifications

● Passion for contemporary art and strong attention to detail

● Excellent communication and organizational skills

● Proficiency in Google Suite and Adobe Photoshop (ArtPlacer and Squarespace a plus)

● Professional demeanor and ability to multitask

● Academic background in Art History, Arts Administration, Studio Art, or strong interest in the arts

Please email your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your interest in Voltz Clarke Gallery and preferred internship term (Spring, Summer, or Fall 2026) to vc@voltzclarke.com with the subject line: “Internship Application – [Your Name] – [Term 2026]”

Connecting Experience: Digital Archival Assistant and Archive Liasson

Dr. Elon Lang at the UT Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is seeking one BDP Museum Studies student to migrate and integrate new materials into the Center’s digital archive created for the center’s 50-year anniversary. Students would work directly with Dr. Lang 10-hours per week and would join the close-knit team of professional and student staff for the semester.

KEY GOALS and RESPONSIBILITIES for the project:

• to build a permanent digital archive of primary sources from the Center’s history stored on-site
• to describe digital archival materials using Dublin-Core on the Omeka archival platform
• to follow up on research done in UT-Austin’s institutional records and publications when necessary
• to author and design online exhibits using the Omeka platform to be transferred to the CTL
• to scan unscanned materials for the archive using equipment on site
• to migrate from a UT-subscribed web host to a CTL-subscribed host
• to prepare the collection stored on-site for transfer to the UT’s official archive

Candidates should be:

• interested in history and in working with and archiving primary source materials
• interested in close looking and writing about/describing items
• familiar working with databases and spreadsheets, and able to quickly learn how to operate new content management systems
• responsible and comfortable working independently
• able to organize and manage detailed information
• available to work 10 hours per week through the Fall 2025 semester in person or remotely
• although training will be provided, some prior experience with museum and archival collections, and specifically with Omeka would be preferred

To apply: applicants should submit a letter of interest via email and a resume to Dr. Lang, emlang@austin.utexas.edu.

NOTE: This is an unpaid position but can be used for a BDP Connecting Experience.