Museum Studies
Art & Art History Collection Opportunity with The Mesoamerica Center – Summer 2021
About the Mesoamerica Center
The Mesoamerica Center is an interdisciplinary organization within the Department of Art and Art History of the College of Fine Arts. The Center aims to facilitate knowledge, learning and understanding about the ancient indigenous cultures and peoples of what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador through education, research and exchange. The Center aims to foster communication among many academic units on campus, highlighting the interdisciplinary strengths of faculty and students at UT-Austin. The Mesoamerica Center’s primary focus is on the arts, language, and archeology of Mesoamerican civilization.
The Mesoamerica Center oversees The Mesoamerica Meetings, a premier academic conference and symposium on Mesoamerican culture, and Casa Herrera, a research and teaching facility in the heart of the city of Antigua, Guatemala.
Overview
- 10 weeks from mid-June to end of August (June 17-August 20)
- Pay: $14/hour
- Hours: 10/week
- Days/Times: Thursdays and Fridays 10 am -3:30 pm
- Mode: In-person on the UT campus (ART building) most weeks, with some remote/online components.
Reports to the curator of the Art and Art History Collection (AAHC) Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, Assistant Director of the Mesoamerica Center and Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Art and Art History.
Responsibilities
Assist with various collection management tasks associated with the deinstallation of the Blanton Museum AncientAmericas gallery including:
- rehousing of artworks from the ancient cultures of the Andes
- rehousing of related objects in new culture-based instead of collector-based storage system
- updating collection database records
- cross-checking records between AAHC inventory, DASe, and ArtStor
- strategizing for future displays in the FAL and other campus partners
- communication (email, in-person visits, Zoom meetings) with other campus partners
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
- Open to students currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin or graduating Spring 2021.
- Applicants who are familiar with the Art and Art History Collection (cultural content; inventory/database system;provenance records) are strongly encouraged to apply. Familiarity with the AAHC is defined as having fulfilled one of the following:
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- completed either ARH 347K “Art and Archaeology of Ancient Peru”; ARH 322 “Issues in Exhibitions and Collections:Textile Arts of the Indigenous Americas”; ARH 322 “Issues in Exhibitions and Collections: The Decolonized Museum”
- completed a Connecting Experience with the AAHC for the Museum Studies BDP
- been a volunteer in the ART Building lab for the AAHC
- Priority will be given to students majoring or minoring in Art History, and students who are currently in the Museum Studies BDP (from any major) or have been accepted into the program. Opportunity can fulfill Museum Studies BDP Connecting Experience requirements.
Required Qualifications
- Good organizational skills, and excellent attention to detail in the following: accurate input of data; checking for mistakes; and maintaining record of tasks for archival documentation
- Familiarity with Microsoft Excel; effective email communication skills
- Ability to lift and move boxes, and ability to follow instructions carefully as concerns the handling and care of ancient and fragile objects
Preferred Qualifications
- Working knowledge of the AAHC
- Ability to use DASe and ArtStor image databases
How to Apply
- Deadline: end-of-business (5 pm CST) on Friday May 21, 2021. Applicants will be notified starting May 26, 2021
- Please submit a letter of interest and current resumé to Dr. Astrid Runggaldier by emailing astrid@austin.utexas.edu
- The letter of interest should clearly address why you are interested in this opportunity, how completing this experience would make a positive impact on your program of study, and how you meet the requirements of the position.
- Priority will be given to students majoring or minoring in Art History, and students who are currently in the Museum Studies BDP (from any major) or have been accepted into the program
Texas Historical Commission Internship Program – Summer 21
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) Internship Program is designed to provide undergraduate and graduate level students unpaid internships within a selected agency division or program; thereby exposing them to the benefits of choosing historic preservation as a career. This is in compliance with the mission of the THC to protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations.
Internships can include, but are not limited to, practical experience in archeology, architecture, community development, historic preservation, history, economic development and planning, marketing communications, and administration. By working closely with THC staff, students should gain hands-on knowledge relating to their coursework in a specific field.
The THC works to save the real places that tell the real stories of Texas. THC staff consults with citizens and organizations to preserve Texas’ architectural, archeological, and cultural landmarks. The agency is recognized nationally for its preservation programs.
Who We Are
The THC is composed of 15 citizen members appointed by the governor to staggered six-year terms. The agency employs more than 200 people who work in various fields, including archeology, architecture, history, economic development, heritage tourism, public administration, and urban planning.
Goals
The THC Internship Program will:
- Give students an insight into state government duties by working closely with staff at the THC
- Provide students with experience in a working professional office environment, while still including an educational component to each internship
- Provide students with the experience in the archeology, architecture, community development, historic preservation, history, economic development and planning, marketing communications, and administrative fields
- Provide the students an opportunity to develop an understanding of and appreciation for the field of historic preservation
- Enable students to build a resume
- Enhance appreciation of public service
- Allow students to earn course credit, depending on the degree plan and institution
Internships are available in the following THC Division programs:
- Administration and Staff Services Divisions – Information resources, accounting, purchasing, human resources, and executive management
- Archeology Division – 106 Review, state archeology programs, curatorial certification, Marine Archeology Program
- Architecture Division – Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, Information Services
- Community Heritage Division – Texas Main Street, Certified Local Government, and Texas Heritage Trails programs
- Historic Sites Division – Curatorial services
- History Programs Division – Historical Markers, Historic Cemetery Designation, Museum Services, National Register of Historic Places, and Military Sites programs
- Public Information & Education Department – The Medallion publication, website, social media, and public relations
Application Deadlines:
- May 1 for the summer semester